Consequences
by Alix Zin
Summary: Due to a hidden medical condition, the nosebleed Rory received during the dodge ball match quickly becomes serious. Rory/Finn/Kurt bonding fic.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm bleeding" says Rory numbly as Kurt and Finn shuffle him out of the gym and part ways with the rest of the group.

"Yeah, that's what a few dozen balls thrown at your head will do to you, dude. Sorry about that, it was really un-cool of them to do that to you," says Finn, patting the younger boys shoulder.

" Damn," whispers Rory, more to himself then to them. He grabs his nose tightly, with a look of panic in his eyes. The guy is seriously going to have a hard time with the bullies here if he couldn't handle something as simple as a nosebleed. He might just catch the next plane back to Ireland once he gets his first slushie facial.

Kurt hands Rory a pack of facial tissue he keeps in his backpack for fashion related emergencies. As Rory moves his hand away to grab a tissue, Finn is alarmed to see the amount of blood that is already on his hands and the heavy stream of blood that is still coming out of his nose.

"Wow, you are really gushing blood!" exclaims Kurt, looking away from the gruesome sight. "I can't believe those girls did that to you. Especially Mercedes, she's getting a phone call from me tonight."

"I…er.. I need to see the nurse," stammers Rory. He is now looking extremely anxious to the point that his hands are even shaking.

"It's past school hours Rory, She'll have left by now. It's just a nosebleed. Calm down, you'll be fine." Finn is trying to reassure him, but it has the opposite effect and Rory begins to pace nervously. Kurt and Finn look at each other in alarm. This is not a normal reaction.

"Maybe-maybe she left the door unlocked… I think I'll go check. See you fellows later." Rory turns to go.

The sudden forced bravo worries Finn more than anything else. He looks so young right then, like a pathetic little kid.

"Rory, what's wrong? What aren't you telling us?"

Rory looks nervously back and forth at the two step brothers, before sighing and looking at the floor.

"I have hemophilia. The factor I need to stop the bleeding is in the nurse's office since I'm not allowed to carry needles with me at school…."

"Shit!" Finn's mom is a nurse, so he had heard all kinds of stories from her during the brief time she had worked in the ER. Rory is already looking pale and now that Finn knew what to look for he could see multiple bruises beginning to form on his face from where the balls hit him. This is not good.

"Okay," he says thinking fast. "I'm going to run ahead to see if the office is unlocked or find a janitor who has a key. Kurt stay with him, follow behind and get him more tissues."

* * *

><p>"So… you have hemophilia" asks Kurt awkwardly. He isn't quite sure how to handle this situation.<p>

Rory nods in confirmation, blushing.

"That's when your blood can't clot?"

"More or less. Can- can I have some more tissues?" he stammers, holding up the now completely red used tissue.

"Yeah, sorry I guess I'm just a bit confused," says Kurt handing over the whole package. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm already picked on for being new, for having an accent, for being in Glee club. I don't want everyone to know that I'm even more different, that I'm fragile. And I didn't want any of you guys to treat me differently."

Rory suddenly freezes and leans up against the nearest wall, breathing deeply.

"Rory?" he asks gently, placing his hand on the younger boys shoulder.

"I'm okay," whispers Rory. "I just got really lightheaded for a second there. I'm fine, let's keep going."

"No, I think you should sit down. You're losing quite a bit of blood. Finn will be able to find us once he gets the nurse."

Rory nods, but does so with such a pouty look that Kurt has to hold back a giggle. Instead he takes Rory by the arm and guides him down to the ground so that they are both sitting up against the lockers.

"Jesus, I hope my parents don't find out about this. Me ma didn't want me to go because of this; she thought it is too dangerous. But I really wanted to and da has always been insistent about not coddling me."

The bleeding continues at the same rate and within minutes Rory has to toss aside the new tissue and grab another one, this time electing to use several at once. He doesn't look good.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to get you water or something?"

"No, just…don't leave okay?"

"I won't."

"Thanks Kurt, I-" Suddenly he goes very quiet and tenses up, his lips pressed firmly together.

"Rory what's-" Before he could finish his sentence Rory jerks to the side, leans forward and vomits painfully.

"I'm …sorry," gasps Rory when once he was done, avoiding Kurt's eyes.

Kurt is just about to tell him not to worry about it, when he unconsciously glances at the pile of sick and sees that it is all blood. Rory had vomited blood.

"Oh my god Rory, that's blood! I think you might be bleeding internally from when the balls hit your stomach. I'm calling an ambulance!" exclaims Kurt, fumbling for his phone.

"No, Kurt stop! It's just the blood that is draining backwards into my stomach. I've had this happen before."

Kurt momentarily feels better, but then realizes that if that is the case his bleeding is even more severe than he can see, and that alone is bad.

Rory looks completely spaced out and has stopped all efforts to control the bleeding, letting it run out freely. Upon noticing this Kurt grabs the tissues and holds it up against Rory's nose himself, pinching his nostrils closed. He's fading fast.

Where the hell is Finn?

* * *

><p>Finn runs throughout the school, desperately searching for a janitor, <em>anyone,<em> who might be able to unlock the nurse's office for him. He had already wasted precious time stupidly trying to kick the door down and pick the lock.

This is all his fault. It had been his idea to have this game after school hours. It had been his idea to have the game in the first place. And Rory is so lonely and desperate to be his friend that he had went along with it despite the risks. Come to think of it no one had even stopped to fricking explain the rules to him, so Rory didn't even have a chance to back out of it. God, Finn couldn't do anything right!

Finn is stopped from his mental assault when his phone buzzes. It is a text from Kurt, just one word: HELP! Horrified, Finn takes off running in the opposite direction.

Finn finds them sitting in the hallway near the gym. Rory is slumped up against a locker. He is extremely pale and is drenched in sweat. Rory looks up at him with wide, panicked eyes, which is the only part of his face Finn can properly see since the rest of it is covered up by a giant wad of heavily blood soaked tissues Kurt is holding up to his nose. There is even more blooded tissues scattered across the floor.

"Finn, oh thank god! I don't know what to do. He won't stop bleeding and I feel like he's going into shock or something. I don't know what to do!" Kurt is crying, shaking and if possible, looks paler than Rory does. His hands are stained with Rory's blood.

"No one is here. We have to get him to a hospital."

"Don't worry. I have medication at Brittney's house. I don't need the hospital" whispers Rory.

"No way, I'm not taking any chances with you." Finn stares at Rory for a minute, sizing him up before reaching a decision and scooping him into his arms.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you all for the lovely reviews, favorites and story alerts. Keep them coming, they make me write faster. :)_

* * *

><p>"What happened?" the nurse at the front desk of the ER as soon as Finn bursts into the room holding Rory. She gets out a stretcher to put him on.<p>

"My friend has hemophilia. He got a nosebleed and has been bleeding badly for the past fifteen minutes. He's also been throwing up blood."

Rory had thrown up several times on the car ride over. Normally he would have been upset about the mess in his car, but when Finn had seen what it was he nearly had a heart attack. Thank goodness Kurt was the one driving at the time, and was able to keep a level head having already experienced the initial shock.

"Name and age?" she asks already wheeling Rory into a room. Thankfully he looks so obviously bad enough they won't have to wait.

"Rory Flanagan. I'm fourteen."

"He's an exchange student from Ireland and his host parents are out of town," adds Kurt.

Two different doctors and several nurses immediately come in and glance at his hastily drawn up chart.

"Okay I'm going to cauterize the inside of your nose. While I get that ready I need to know…"

"I have type B, so I need factor IX. My blood type is A positive. I have a portacath installed," Rory rattles this information in a businesslike manner that suggests he's given this statement many times before.

"What percent of active factor do you have?"

"About 1%. I'm moderate type, borderline severe."

"Okay, yeah, you're definitely going to need a transfusion."

Out of nowhere Rory takes off his red t-shirt as the doctors are talking and preparing materials.

"What are you doing?" asks Kurt, bewildered. "I mean, I know it's awkward that we're all in the same outfit and you do have a cute chest, but-"

"It's so the doctors can access my port," Rory mutters, blushing furiously. "I'm not doing a strip tease just for the fun of it."

"Oh. Your what?"

Rory points to a bump the size of a quarter on his chest a few inches below his shoulder, but before he could explain what it is the doctor approaches him with a long metal instrument.

"All right son, pinch one nostril closed and look up. This is going to hurt a bit."

Without thinking Finn grasps Rory's hand, desperate to do something to help him through this. As the doctor does his thing Rory squeezes his hand a few times, but gives no other indication that he's in pain. At the same time a nurse rubs a brown liquid over the bump on his chest. When she pulls out a needle Finn has to look away.

"Guys?" says Rory softly a few minutes later. "All the gross stuff is done. You can look now. Also the bleeding has stopped."

Embarrassed, Finn looks up from the floor and sees Kurt cautiously removing his hands from over his eyes. Rory's nose has indeed stopped bleeding, thank goodness! He still doesn't look good, but at least it's not getting any worse. IV tubing is now coming out of his chest where the bump had been, which is attached to several bags of medicine on an IV stand, including one that looks like blood. He has additional wires, most likely a heart monitor, attached to his chest and something clipped to his finger.

"Sorry about that, I guess we're both kind of lightweights. Not you though, you handled all that like a badass. Props dude."

Rory shrugs lightly and looks down, biting his lip.

"As eloquent as my darling step brother is, how are you doing Rory? Are you feeling any better?"

"Em… about the same, to be honest. But I know it's going to get better, not worse. So I can't complain. You fellas don't need to stay anymore. I'm gonna be fine," answers Rory shyly.

"Are you kidding? There's no way we're leaving you alone in a hospital. We're your _friends,_we care about you. We're staying as long as you are. Right Kurt?" The look on Rory's face when he called him a friend is heartbreaking. Finn hates himself for not doing a better job to make him feel welcome.

"Absolutely, you're stuck with us. Speaking of which, as a friend who cares about you I can't continue to let you lie here covered in dried blood." Kurt grabs a handful of paper towels and wets it from the sink. He then proceeds to begin scrubbing the blood off of Rory's face and neck.

"I can do that meself."

"No," Kurt scolds, batting his hands away. "What you need to do is lie still and rest. You're still ghost pale, and not in a good way."

Almost as soon as Kurt is done one of the nurses that had been in earlier enters the room.

"Rory? We're going to take you down to radiology now."

"Why?" asks Finn.

"Since he's been vomiting blood we need to scan his abdomen for any bleeding. We know that it's most likely caused by the blood from the nosebleed irritating his stomach, but with internal bleeding we can't take any chances. We're also going to scan his brain-"

"For any hemorrhaging. I know the drill," Rory finishes with a sigh.

"I'll come with you, don't worry. Kurt?"

"I'm going to hang back and call home. It's getting late and if I don't let dad know what's going on he'll send out a search squad."

* * *

><p>"Hey dad."<p>

"Kurt! Thank goodness. Is Finn with you? Where are you guys?"

"Yeah, he's with me. Dad, Finn and I are going to be out late tonight. We had to take our friend Rory, a freshmen who just joined Glee, to the ER. That's why we weren't able to call sooner."

"What happened? Do you guys need help?"

"Santana and the other girls attacked him with a bunch of dodgeballs. He got a nosebleed and it got really really bad, like scary bad. It turns out he has hemophilia. He's currently getting a blood transfusion, he lost so much blood. Rory's pretty embarrassed by this so it would probably be best if it's just Finn and I with him."

"Is he okay? Where are his parents?"

"I think he's doing better now; he's really weak, but okay. Rory's an exchange student and is staying with Brittney. Her parents are out of town and Finn doesn't trust Brittney with him. Finn's really fond of him and was the one started the game in the first place, so Finn is pretty freaked out by this. I think he blames himself for what happened."

"How are _you_ doing, kid? This can be a lot to deal with."

"I'm also pretty freaked out; when he wouldn't stop bleeding and was going into shock it was terrifying. But I'm okay. Taking care of Rory is all that matters right now."

* * *

><p>As the nurses pushes Rory's stretcher down the hallway, Finn jogs along beside him with his IV stand.<p>

"You doing okay, Rors?" he asks, upon noticing that Rory's eyes have closed.

"Yeah, just really tired. I'll probably take a bit of kip during the scans. They can take a while. "

"Take a what?"

"Nap, Finn, take a nap." Rory rolls his eyes and smirks at him. That is a good sign.

"Alright, I'm going to get an orderly who can lift you onto the scanner," the nurse says once they got to the CT room. "You're in no condition to be walking right now."

"Em, could my friend do that instead? It would be a lot less awkward. I mean… if you don't mind, that is?"

Finn nods in confirmation, once again feeling bad for how self conscious he is around him.

"Okay, but just be really careful of all the things he's hooked up to. We don't want any of it to get pulled or tangled."

"All right buddy, here we go," Finn says as he lifts Rory as gently as he could and slowly lays him onto the scanner table. "Have a good nap. I'll be right outside." Before leaving Finn runs a hand through his hair and gives his hand a squeeze.

"Thanks Finn Hudson."

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Wow, 3 chapters in 4 days, wasn't expecting that. It's safe to assume that from now on the updates won't happen at the same rate, since I do have grad school work to maintain. But the next chapter will definitely be up no later than next weekend.**_

* * *

><p>Rory is still asleep when they bring Finn in to help him off the table. Finn considers waking him up before transferring him, but thinks better of it since he looks like he so desperately needs the sleep. Though once Finn places Rory on the stretcher his eyes slowly flutter open.<p>

"Hey," he whispers, not fully there.

"Hey yourself. Go back to sleep," Finn whispers back. Rory doesn't need telling twice.

As soon as they get back to the room Kurt jumps up, about to ask how it went, but is quickly silenced when Finn places his finger to a his lips and gestures to a sleeping Rory.

Kurt smiles warmly down at the young teen, as he gently pets his hair and pulls up the blankets that had fallen off of his upper body. Finn knows that Kurt's feelings towards Rory were initially less then lukewarm, primarily because he felt threatened by his killer falsetto. But now it's very clear that Kurt's feelings have changed to genuine affection after the day's events.

Kurt and Finn then embrace each other in a tight hug. Without saying anything they are able to physically communicate their mutual feelings of fear, helplessness and semi-relief that they had and are currently experiencing. They cling onto each other far longer then what is normal, neither of them wanting to give up the secure lifeline of the others solid mass telling them that it was going to be okay.

Up until this point Finn has been so focused on looking after Rory that he didn't have time to stop and take it all in. Now all of the emotions come flooding over him like a giant wave that is almost unbearable. Fighting back the urge to cry, Finn grasps onto his step brother even tighter, while simultaneously staring intently at Rory's still form.

* * *

><p>After nearly ten minutes of sitting watching Rory sleep, watching his chest rise and fall in reassurance that he is very much alive, they step out into the ER hallway so they can talk. They leave the door ajar so they can still keep an eye on him.<p>

"What did Burt say?" Finn asks quietly.

"He offered to come down and be with us, but I insisted that he doesn't. I get the impression that Rory would be freaked out having a strange man hovering over him. Anyway I promised to call if we're going to be out past 11."

"We will. Rory's not leaving the hospital anytime soon." Kurt feels a sudden pang in his stomach. Does Finn know something that he doesn't?

"Why do you say that?" he breaths.

"Just a feeling, I mean, look at him."

Rory does look awful, even more so asleep then awake. He's so young and vulnerable looking, and all that medical equipment attached to him seems to swallowing him up. In just the 20 minutes that he'd been gone, the bruises from the dodge balls became even more pronounced. He has a black eye, a swollen nose and a nasty bruise on his jaw line. It looks like someone beat the crap out of him, even though he had been hit with the same force that everyone else had during the game, just not as extensively. Rory said he didn't want anyone to think of him as fragile, but in truth, that was exactly what he is. And to think of all the times he's been shoved into a locker! If anyone needed a bully whip hall escort, it was Rory.

"He could have bled to death," Kurt says slowly, finally expressing what he had been thinking about when they had been gone. "I waited way to long doing nothing. I should have called 911 when he first felt dizzy from the blood loss. It just felt like everything was frozen, even when it was happening right in front of me. My god Finn, if you hadn't have come I might have just sat there and watched him die!"

"No, you wouldn't have. You weren't doing nothing; you were keeping the bleeding under control. You were doing that crucial thing, while I was running around the school like idiot doing nothing productive other than wasting valuable time. And you were the one who calmly drove us to the hospital while I was in the holding Rory in the backseat completely freaking out. Kurt, have you not noticed that while you were so gung hoe to clean up Rory, you still have blood on your hands and gym shirt?"

"Oh dear lord, you're right," says Kurt looking down at himself, happy for a distraction."I'm a mess. And I'm all sweaty from the game, followed by the massive adrenaline rush. Gross."

"And you still have that ridicules headband on," Finn adds helpfully.

"Well, you're still wearing your whistle. You look like a creepy gym teacher."

They both remove the offending accessory and toss them into the nearby garbage, giggling as they do so.

"You weren't being an idiot Finn," Kurt says, getting serious again. "You were trying to get Rory his lifesaving medicine so we wouldn't have to go to the hospital at all. You didn't know how bad he had gotten, when you left it was still _just_ a nosebleed. "

Finn is just about to reply when the doctor who had treated Rory earlier comes up to them.

* * *

><p>"Do you have the results of the scans?" asks Finn anxiously.<p>

"Yes, I'll discuss it with you all once I give him a thorough examination. Is he asleep?"

"Yeah, uh, I guess I'll wake him up for you," says Finn reluctantly. He goes up to Rory and lightly taps his shoulder. "Rory, the doctors back. You need to wake up." In response Rory stirs slightly and lets out a whimper. Finn wishes they could just let him sleep.

"Rory? Rors, come on, I know this sucks, but you need to wake up just for a minute." He gently pats the uninjured side of his face, until finally Rory opens his eyes and slowly sits up, groaning.

"M'up," he says groggily, though it's very apparent that's only halfway true.

"All right Mr. Flanagan, the good news is that all of the scans came back clean, so we don't have to worry about any of that. However you did lose quite a lot of blood and when you came in you were approaching stage three of hypovolemic shock, which is quite serious. Therefore we're going to transfuse another bag of blood and admit you to the pediatric floor overnight until you become more stable."

"Okay," Rory whispers, looking like he could drop any moment.

"Are you in any pain?" Rory gives a small nod. "Where?"

Slowly Rory points to his black eye, swollen nose and then to his right leg.

"Okay, let me take a look," the doctor lifts up the blanket to examine it, revealing a badly swollen knee. It looks like it must really hurt.

"Ouch, did you land on it when you fell?"

"Yeah," says Rory still speaking in barely a whisper. He winces as the doctor feels it.

"I'll get you some ice and pain medicine for it and make a note to peds to keep an eye on that. Is anything else bothering you, other than the obvious fatigue?" Rory shakes his head.

"In which case a police officer would like to speak to all three of you about what happened."

Instantly Rory sits up straighter, looking far more alert than he had just seconds before. All three of the boys look at each other uneasily, not sure what to expect.

"Rory Flanagan?" a police officer enters the room.

"Yeah?" Rory squeaks, clearly uncomfortable.

"I understand that you're a victim of assault by another student. Do you know who attacked you?"

"Whoa, what?" Rory yelps, suddenly wide awake. "No sir, it wasn't like that. She just didn't know about my condition. The intention was to embarrass me and make me a little uncomfortable, but they didn't mean to hurt me as badly as they did. At the very worst it was intended to cause a few minor bruises, but not this."

"Son, whether the intention was to harm you seriously or not, it was still an attack, which is a criminal offense. So you're saying that this was done by a group of people?"

"We had an after school dodge ball game with a rival club of students," says Finn quietly, avoiding Rory's furious glare. "After we lost and admitted defeat they suddenly all started pelting balls at Rory unprovoked. They didn't stop until Rory was in a fetal position bleeding and Kurt was yelling at them to stop since he was hurt."

"That sounds like aggravated battery to me, especially given your young age, that it occurred on school grounds and the seriousness of your injuries. I'm going to need their names," says the officer, taking down notes.

"But they didn't know it was dangerous, since I've been keeping my disorder a secret from everyone!" Rory half yells, his voice raising quite a few octaves in panic. "And I don't want anyone at school besides these two knowing what happened. Otherwise everyone will start treating me like I'm made of glass. I'm _not_ pressing charges." Rory's entire body is visibly trembling now, but whether it's out of rage, fear, exhaustion or some combination is unclear.

"Unfortunately as a minor that's not up to you to decide. I'm going to have to speak to your guardians." At these words Rory's face crumbles and he looks back and forth between them all, horrified. Finn can actually hear is breathing get heavier. He privately prays for the officer to notice how vulnerable the poor kid is right now and back off.

"Actually," Kurt spoke up, clearly not noticing Rory's demeanor. "His guardians are the parents of one of the girls that attacked him. Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest?"

"In which case, I'm going to have to speak to your parents in Ireland."

"No!" wails Rory, immediately breaking down into tears. "They can't know about this! They can't. Then they'll make me come home. I-I won't give you their information."

Alarmed by Rory's sudden breakdown, and realizing too late the damage that has been done, Kurt climbs onto the bed with him and pulls him into a hug. Rory buries his head into Kurt's shoulder and cries without restraint.

"We're done here," Finn says firmly, wishing he had spoken up just a second earlier. "You'll have to come back another time, maybe tomorrow. He's completely exhausted, both mentally and physically, from what he's been through today and it's making him emotional. What Rory needs now is rest, not more drama."

The officer nods in agreement and gesture for him to follow him out into the hallway.

"Look, I understand that your friend is having an awful day, but legally I have to at the very minimum report this to the school, since it did happen on the property. I can tell from your gym shirts that you all go to William McKinley, but I need you to tell me the names of the two clubs involved at the very least."

"Um," Finn stalls, feeling trapped, but also desperate to get back to Rory as soon as possible.

"Either you tell me, or I'll have no choice but to continue to interview your friend."

"Finn?" Kurt's voice suddenly called out from the room, sounding urgent.

Instantly reaching a decision, Finn quickly rattles off the names of the clubs and the teachers in charge before dashing back into the room.

Rory is slumped over in Kurt's arms, gasping for breath, his lips tinged blue. Before Finn even has a chance to respond alarm bells from the monitors go off in the room and several nurses rush inside.

One of them puts on oxygen mask on Rory and almost instantly the alarms stop, as do the far more terrifying gasps for air.

"Oh thank god!" says Kurt, actually kissing the top of Rory's head in relief. Kurt moves to the side so the doctors can examine him and shifts Rory's position in his arms, but flat out refuses to get off the bed.

"What just happened?"

"Because of the blood loss the oxygen levels in his circulation aren't where they should be. By hyperventilating when he was upset he lowered the amount even further, which is what set him off. This shouldn't be a problem once he's calmed down. But he's okay, right Rory?"

Rory nods softly, hot tears still streaming down his face.

"All right, take it easy guys. Someone from pediatrics will be in to transfer him upstairs in a few minutes."

As soon as he leaves Finn is by Rory's side, rubbing his back and wiping away his tears the best he can. "Take deep breaths Rory, there you go," he says, trying hard to sound soothing. "I know this is a lot to take in, but you're doing awesome."

"Is he gone?" Rory asks more than a little pathetically, taking off the mask now that his breathing has stabilized.

"Yes, you don't have to worry about that. It's taken care of." Finn doesn't dare tell him that the police will soon be contacting Principle Figgins, Shelby and Mr. Schue about the 'attack'. He doesn't know how he's going to bring it up tomorrow.

A new nurse come in, wearing a different colored scrubs from the ER nurses so is most likely from a different department. "All right dear, we're transferring you to the pediatric floor for overnight observation. It's past visiting hours so you two will have to go."

Rory looks crestfallen.

"They're brothers," said Finn thinking fast, hoping to stem off another panic attack. "I'm their step brother and we're both eighteen so we should be allowed to stay with our little brother over night, especially since our parents aren't here."

Finn gives Rory a firm look, mentally warning him not to speak since his accent would blow their cover.

The nurse smiles warmly at these words, looking back and forth between Kurt and Rory. "I should have known. You two look so much alike! You guys are such great brothers, looking out for the little one; I wish my sons were like that."

Wow, that was lucky! Thank goodness this woman is completely unfamiliar with Rory's case and that Rory and Kurt actually do look somewhat similar.

They could all use a bit of luck right now.

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

_**It looks like I beat my self imposed deadline by one day. :) Thanks again for all the lovely reviews!**_

The pediatric floor is almost the exact opposite of the ER. While the ER is simultaneously sterile and gritty, the pediatric floor is overly cheery, full of bright colors and animal decorations. The room Rory is put in has a picture of Mickey Mouse painted on the wall. Normally Finn would find that awesome, but it creates an eerie feeling in contrast to heartbreak that radiates the halls. All the kids here are at least as bad off as Rory is, and most are in a worse state and are far younger. As he walks down the halls Finn can't bring himself to look any of the parents in the eyes. Parents who have kids who are bald from chemotherapy, or who have large surgical scars on their heads or chest, or babies who are on respirators. It's just too much. And yet, by claiming to be Rory's brother he just lumped himself in that category.

There's a white board in the room where all of Rory's basic information is listed. Under the category 'family' was the name 'Finn and Kurt Flanagan—Brothers'.

"I still can't believe you did that Finn. It was brilliant, but we are going to be in so much trouble once they figure it out," whispers Kurt, once the nurses have left them alone and an exhausted Rory had drifted back to sleep. They are now lying on a padded window seat that doubles as a bed for families, watching the tv on subtitles.

"I'll erase it in between the night and day nurses shifts. They'll never know."

"Better set your phone alarm. And scoot over a bit so I can sleep. Incidentally, us sleeping in the same bed together would have been my dream come true two years ago."

"It still hasn't come true. This is a glorified gym mat, not a bed. Also we're in a freaking hospital and are brothers now so it's not weird."

"Your logic never fails to amaze me. Goodnight Finn."

* * *

><p>The next morning Kurt is woken up by a knock on the hospital door. Kurt reluctantly climbs over a stubbornly asleep Finn to answer it and is greeted by his dad, bearing the lifesaving gift of a fresh change of clothes for the both of them. When Kurt had called him again last night to let him know they were staying the night, he had asked if he could bring them anything in the morning. Kurt had immediately requested the clothing, as well as a pair of Finn's pajamas and some extra blankets for Rory.<p>

Kurt pokes Finn awake and the two of them quickly change, being mindful to be quiet so as not to wake Rory who remains out cold in spite of all the shuffling around. Once off, Kurt disposes the bloodstained, BO-reeking, fashionably-criminal gym uniform in the trash. It's quite possible the stains could come off in the wash, but Kurt never wants to see that outfit again for multiple reasons.

"What on earth?" Burt whispers, pointing to the whiteboard. Kurt and Finn both hold back a snicker. Finn checks the time and, seeing that the shifts are about to change, wipes their names off with his hand.

Kurt follows his dad out into the hallway so they can talk. He motions to Finn to come too, but Finn shakes his head and points to Rory, indicating that he doesn't want to leave him for even a minute.

"Is your friend alright?" Burt asks, as soon as the door closes. "On the phone you said he was doing well, but he looks so…"

"Fragile? Young? Vulnerable? Hurt?" Kurt finishes for him. "Yeah, I know. That's why we're staying with him. But the doctors say he's not in any immediate danger."

His dad glances through the window on the door, looking back at Rory. "I really don't like that he doesn't have a parent or guardian here with him. The thought of either one of you alone and injured halfway across the globe really rattles me."

"Yeah, we spoke to Brittney's parents last night. They said they'll try to catch the next flight home as soon as they can, but they sounded confused. I get the impression they're as checked out from reality as Britney is… But anyway, thank you so much for bringing the clothes Dad. I can't tell you how desperately needed they were."

"No problem. Heaven's knows I remember spending days in the same outfit when your mom was in the hospital." Kurt winces, wishing his dad hadn't brought that up. His mom's illness and dad's recent cardiac episode are the two things he's been trying desperately _not_ to think about while he's here.

"Sorry kid, bad topic. Switching gears look what else I brought you." From behind him he pulls out a bag full of magazines and DVDs, a Starbucks container with coffee and pastries, and a Get Well Soon balloon for Rory. His dad is seriously all kinds of amazing!

"You're incredible."

"No, you are. I couldn't be more proud of you two than I am right now."

* * *

><p>"Please, please let this all have been just a bad dream," Rory thinks to himself over and over again, as soon as he's awoken by hushed voices.<p>

He wasn't attacked by a group of girls. He didn't bleed out and reveal his biggest secret. Finn Hudson hadn't carried him like a baby or damsel in distress. He hadn't thrown up in the car of his only friend here. No one had seen his shirtless, scrawny body and his well hidden port. There's no chance the police were considering arresting other students because of him. And he most definitely didn't cry uncontrollably in front of everyone and cling onto Kurt, a boy hadn't spoken a single word to before yesterday, like a young child with severe separation anxiety.

This _had_ to be a dream, because all of that is way worse than any cliché nightmare of being naked at school. He's wide awake now in panic, but refuses to open eyes because if this wasn't all a nightmare he doesn't want to know.

But his entire body hurts, like he's been run over by a truck…or hit by a cascade of dodge balls. He can't breathe out of his nose. His right knee is absolutely throbbing in pain, it feels like it has its own heartbeat. He can feel the familiar sharp tug of an IV in his portacath and a urinary catheter. Jesus. He shifts around lightly to confirm. Yep, that is definitely a hospital bed he's on. The details are too good for it to be a dream.

"Rory, are you awake man? Rory?"

Finally giving into the truth that this is indeed real life, he opens his eyes. Finn Hudson is standing over him, grinning dopily.

"Good morning!" he declares way too cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday," Rory lies, since he knows that's what Finn wants to hear. He's rewarded with a look of delight on his friends face.

"That's fantastic!" Finn helps Rory sit up and the movement is sheer agony. He bites down on his lip to stop himself from crying out in pain. After a nightmare day like yesterday, he has to save face today.

"Are you okay?" asks Finn, noticing that something's up.

"I'm grand." He gives his best attempt at a smile, but it likely comes out as more of a grimace. He quickly tries to change the subject. "Where's Kurt?"

"Out in the hallway talking to Burt. They didn't want to wake you, but I'll let them know you're up."

Kurt comes in followed by a middle aged guy who is just about America personified, from his baseball cap to his flannel shirt. He's carrying old shopping bags full of stuff and a large smiley face "Get well soon" balloon. Rory instantly feels his throat closing up and face heat up.

"Rory, you're awake!" Kurt runs forward and gives him a light hug. Kurt's obviously trying to be gentle, but even the light pressure cause's further insult to his already aching body. Rory shudders to think how badly bruised he must be under the hospital gown.

"Hi kiddo I'm Burt, the father of these two characters. How are you feeling?"

"Okay," he manages to croak out. He wishes people would stop asking him that. All that stupid question is achieving is forcing him to lie over and over again. In his experience, no one who asks how he's doing after a bleed actually _want_ to know the truth.

He really, really wishes his Mammy were here.

* * *

><p>Rory is extremely quiet the entire time Burt is visiting, giving only short one word answers to direct questions. He's so visibly uncomfortable by the stranger's presence. Burt seems notices this as well and leaves after just a few minutes.<p>

Something isn't quite right with Rory. Even after Burt leaves he's visibly tense and hardly speaks a word. Finn hasn't known Rory for very long, but does know that at times Rory can talk your ear off, whether the listener can follow what he's saying or not. Finn can't figure it out since Rory actually does seem to be doing a lot better this morning. His coloring, though not yet back to normal, is looking a lot better and the extreme weakness that had radiated off of Rory yesterday has let up quite a bit. Yet, something is definitely off; he just can't place what it is.

About an hour after Burt leaves the new day nurse comes in to fiddle around with his IV medications and to take his temperature and blood pressure.

"You have a slight fever," she says with a frown, causing both Kurt and Finn to look up in alarm. "I assume you've had blood transfusions before? Do you normally get light fevers as a reaction to them?"

"Yes," says Rory, a little too quickly.

"Alright then. In which case how about you come with me to the playroom to pick out some DVD's?"

"No thanks. These two have me well stocked."

"That's really nice of them; I can tell you have some great friends here. Though actually the invitation was just a clever ploy to get you out of bed. Since your vitals are now stable, the doctors want to see how you respond to being on your feet to help figure out how you're recovering from the blood loss."

"Can we do that later? I'm really tired right now and was hoping for a nap." That's news to Finn. Rory's only been awake for an hour after sleeping for nearly 13 hours and hasn't given any indication of being tired. If anything he's been hyper-vigilant.

"We'll be super quick. I'm just going to have you walk halfway down the hallway and back and then check your vitals again. It will take less than five minutes, I swear."

"No."

"What?"

"No, I'm not doing that. You can't make me." Rory says firmly, a determined look on his face. Finn is honestly shocked. Rory has always been overly eager to please in a puppy-like manner; even at the cost of his personal safety, as demonstrated yesterday. Having him downright refuse to do something is completely out of character. Something is not right. Is it possible has a head injury that the scans hadn't detected?

"How about if you just walk around the room?" she asks.

"No."

Why on earth would he refuse such a simple request? There really isn't any rational reason not to, unless… Suddenly Finn remembers the sore knee Rory had mentioned yesterday, that had been completely forgotten about after his breathing problems.

"Rory is it your knee? It looked pretty painful yesterday. I certainly wouldn't want to walk on it if it was me."

Rory says nothing, but his silence speaks volumes.

The nurse pulls back his blankets to examine it and all of them have to fight back a gasp in horror. Yesterday his knee had been a bit swollen, but it's now far beyond that point. His right knee is now swollen to over twice the size of his uninjured left knee. It looks excruciatingly painful.

"Why didn't you say anything?" asks Kurt, looking slightly lightheaded.

"Didn't want to whine," he mutters, refusing to look at them. Is this all coming back to that again? Back to Rory's insecurities about the state of their friendship.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst, how bad is the pain?" asks the nurse.

Rory hold up four fingers.

"I seriously doubt that. Stubborn child! I'm going to call in someone from orthopedics and in the meantime you've just earned yourself some strong narcotics. And later today I'll have you move around the room on crutches, would that be okay?"

"Yeah," says Rory sheepishly, flashing her an apologetic smile.

"For goodness sake Rory," says Finn as soon as she leaves. "You need to tell us these things! Is anything else bothering you?"

Rory shrugs.

"What else hurts?" asks Kurt. He glares at Rory, warning him not to lie this time.

"Everywhere," Rory says so softly they almost miss it. That would explain a lot about how he's been acting all morning.

"Okay, let's lie you back down. I'm sure having to sit up hasn't been helping matters." As Finn helps Rory to lie back down in the bed, he can feel the excess heat radiating off him. As soon as Rory is down, Finn feels his forehead, pushing his hair out of the way as he did so. "And you're running a fever on top of everything else! Yet you still didn't say anything? Seriously Rory, what are we going to do with you?"

* * *

><p>Within minutes of getting narcotics injected into his IV line Rory's entire demeanor changes from quiet and tense to loopy and giggly. He becomes way more relaxed and actually starts engaging them in real conversation for the first time all day. Even if they are, well, odd.<p>

"Ya know what your da should have brought, Kurt Hummel?" he asks out of nowhere. His Irish accent has become significantly more pronounced.

"What's that, Rory?" Kurt asks with a big smile. Rory on drugs is kind of adorable.

"My Woody doll. I really want him."

"Is he at Britt's house? I could stop by and get it for you."

"Noooo, he's back home. But he should be here, cause he always stays in the hospital with me."

"If the toy's in Ireland we can't help you with that buddy," says Finn.

"But Mickey Mouse is here." For a split second Kurt thinks he must be hallucinating, but then realizes he's referring to the painting on the wall. Though what that has to do with anything is anybody's guess.

Neither of them gets a chance to try and sort out Rory's strange drug induced logic, because at that moment a doctor comes. Rory giggles the entire time she examines his knee, much to the bewilderment of the clueless doctor. Finn and Kurt's subsequent laughter probably isn't helping matters.

"So as I'm sure you know, bleeding into your joints is a common problem with hemophilia. Have you had this happen before?"

"Too many times."

"In which case, I probably don't have to tell you that it needs to be drained right away or risk permanent damage to the joint." Rory sighs dramatically.

"Hold on, you obviously know what's going on, but I don't. What exactly does this entail?" asks Finn, back into full big brother mode.

"I'm going to inject a needle into his knee joint and pull out all of the collected blood with a syringe." The mere description is enough to make Kurt feel woozy, but Rory doesn't even flinch, even though it's his knee they're about to do that to. He's a lot tougher than he looks.

"Whoa, hang on. Yesterday he almost bled to death from a minor injury and you want to purposefully cause another one and remove more blood? How is that okay?"

"Finn, I've been getting extra injections of factor IX all day. It's gonna hurt, but I'm not going to die or bleed out from it. Stop worrying."

As they are prepping the shockingly large needle and syringe, Kurt's cell phone rings. It's Blaine. He's probably wondering why he's not at school. Kurt lets it go to voicemail, but within seconds it's ringing again. Kurt sighs in exasperation, realizing he's not going to let up.

"Rory, I'm just going to step outside and let Blaine know I'm alive and then I'll be right back."

"You can talk to him. I mean, you're going to be covering your eyes anyway, right?" Rory says with a mischievous grin.

"It's true," Finn snickers. He's sitting on the hospital bed next to Rory with his arms wrapped tightly around him to help with the pain he's about to go through.

"So will you Finn Hudson. You'll be the one who will need comforting." It's so great to hear Rory teasing them. That alone makes Kurt feel better about stepping out, since he's clearly in the best spirits he's been in since this happened. Even if it did take drugs to make it happen.

The phone goes to voice mail again by the time Kurt steps out into the hall, but as he expected it starts up again within seconds.

"Hi Blaine."

"Kurt, oh my god are you okay? Are you hurt? How bad is it? Do you need me to-"

"Blaine," Kurt interrupts. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're not hurt? So… is it Finn? Is he okay?" Instantly Kurt starts to connect the dots. He's not liking the picture its making.

"Finn's fine. Why are you asking?" he asks slowly.

"Principal Figgins called both Glee clubs into his office this morning a few minutes ago and started screaming at us about last night's game. He said something about getting a call from the police, finding a pool of blood in _his_hallway this morning and that 'thanks to our reckless shenanigans a student has been seriously injured'. You and Finn are both gone so I assumed it was one of you."

Kurt had never even considered the amount of blood they left in the hallway. Out of context it must have looked like something out of a slasher film.

"Kurt, what's going on?" Blaine asks, noting how quiet he had become.

"You've got to keep this to yourself Blaine. I swear, you can tell _no one._ But it was Rory. Rory's the one who was seriously hurt during the game. Finn and I are at the hospital with him now. That's why we're not at school and why I didn't answer the phone right away."

"Rory?" Kurt could tell by his tone that he hadn't even noticed the new student's absence. "How exactly did he get hurt? How bad is it?"

"He has a medical condition. I can't tell you what it is or exactly how he was hurt because he doesn't want to be 'outed', so to speak. It was pretty bad Blaine, but he is going to be okay now. I'm serious though, you can't tell anyone."

"I won't, but... people are going to figure out that it's one of you three that got hurt with you all being absent. Considering what Figgins did, everyone is going to be talking about it all week."

"Wait what? What did he do?"

"We've all gotten detention for a week and Figgins is still in his office lecturing Mr. Schue about something. And Kurt, the Troubletones have all been suspended."

"What? Oh shit, this is bad. Rory is not in the best place emotionally right now, and doesn't want anyone to know what happened. When the police tried to talk to him about the attack, he was very insistent that he doesn't want the girls to get in trouble. If he finds out about this, if anyone finds out what happened to him…. Blaine, you've got to keep people guessing about which one of us was hurt."

"No one will believe me if I say I don't know if you were hurt or not."

"Okay, how about this? Spread the rumor that all three of us were mildly hurt and that's why Figgins is freaking out. Like of the sprained wrist or couple stitches variety."

"I can do that. Did you know that you're kind of amazing? A few days ago you didn't even like this kid, and now you're going out of your way to protect him. Just… wow!"

"Oh Blaine, you and I both know I was just being petty about him possibly taking some of my solos. He's actually pretty amazing kid, himself."

* * *

><p>Kurt stays out in the hallway long after the knee drainage, which Rory once again handled like a badass, is finished. Rory doesn't seem to think anything of it, but Finn is incredibly worried. While it's normal for Kurt to talk to Blaine for countless hours, he also knows his step-brother well enough to know that Kurt would never be away from Rory for more than a minute under these circumstances unless it was really important. Finn has this nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that it might have something to do with the police contacting the school. He's been worried about that all day, terrified what would happen if Rory found out about it.<p>

When Kurt finally does re-enter the hospital room he looks grim, which all but confirms Finn's fears.

"How you doing Rory? Did the procedure go okay?" Kurt asks solemnly.

"It was fine," Rory answers, looking at Kurt in confusion.

"Finn, can I talk to you for a second? In private." At these words Rory looks up at them with wide eyes, clearly alarmed.

"I'll be back in a second, buddy," Finn whispers to him, patting his shoulder. "It's probably top secret boyfriend drama." Based on the look Rory gives him, he's obviously not buying it either. But Finn has no choice, but to follow Kurt out into the hallway, leaving Rory in the dark. This is starting to become a pattern.

"What's going on?"

Kurt tells him the latest news from school regarding Rory.

"Finn, what did you tell the police officer?"

"I didn't have a choice, Kurt I swear. It was the only way I could make him go away so I could get back to Rory who, I'm sure you remember, was having trouble breathing. And if I didn't he was going to keep questioning Rory and he was just so _vulnerable_ right then. I was trying to protect him."

Rory is going to hate him.

"Okay, well let's focus on damage control. Blaine's spreading the rumor that all three of us were mildly hurt. So when Rachel calls tell her that, since we both know she can't keep a secret. Tell her that I sprained my wrist, you got a mild concussion and Rory broke his nose. It's sure swollen enough for that last bit to be believable once that comes back."

"Why do I have to be the one with a concussion?"

"I don't know, you hitting your head just sounds so believable. But it doesn't matter which one of us gets what. Just tell her something. And...we're going to have to tell Rory about this."

"I know."

This is going to suck.

_To be continued..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>As a side note in this story Rory is a 14, while in Glee it was stated that he is a sophomore. The primary reason for that is that at the time the I first started writing the only thing I had to go on in determining his age was the statement made on The Glee Project that Damian would be a good freshmen member to bring in. Once it was stated how old he was on the show I was several chapters in already and elected not to change it because much of the story is based on the idea of Rory's young age. So no more comments about me getting his age wrong, okay? :)<strong>_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks again for all the great feedback! I just checked the stats and saw that this story has gotten more story alerts then all my other stories combined, which is crazy. Gleeks rule. As always please review since getting them brightens my day and makes me write faster. :)_

* * *

><p>Finn and Kurt spent the next several minutes debating the best way to break the news to Rory in a way that would cause the least emotional damage.<p>

"Maybe we can wait until after he gets his next dose of pain meds? He would probably take it best then."

"Finn that would be completely unethical. Actually do you think we should wait for the effects to wear off some more? He was still pretty loopy when I stepped out."

"So what, you want to wait until his pain comes back? That's just mean. Also the giant needle seemed to have sobered him up quite a bit. Let's just tell him now. I feel like the longer we wait, the worse it's going to be."

Kurt agrees and the two of them hesitantly re-enter the hospital room and sit down by Rory's bed.

"Rory buddy, we need to talk to you about something." Rory looked at them both uneasily, clearly knowing that something was up. Finn opens his mouth to continue, but can't find the words. He looks at Kurt, begging for help.

"Basically, people at school know that _someone_from Glee club was hurt yesterday, but they don't know who. Now all three of us are absent and I know you don't want anybody knowing, so I've instructed Blaine to spread around different rumors that will keep people guessing who it was."

At these words Rory begins fidgeting nervously, playing with the corner of his blanket. Yet he's taking this a lot better than expected. Kurt was brilliant opening with the sole piece of good news.

"How?" he asks anxiously.

"The amount of blood you left in the hallway was pretty substantial," says Kurt, clearly stalling. "Also… when the police came to visit us yesterday we were all wearing William McKinley shirts. I'm afraid that he ended up contacting the principal about this."

Rory's fidgeting immediately goes into hyper speed. His hands don't stop moving for a second. "But, how do they know it was from Glee club?"

"Well, he did have your name already so I'm sure it was easy-"

"Rory," Finn cuts in, realizing he can't let Kurt lie just to protect him, since Kurt is apparently going down that path. "I told him what he wanted to know. I don't think you noticed since you were so upset, but he made me come out into the hall with him for further interrogation. He said that if I didn't tell him he would keep questioning you and, well, you were having a real tough time then. I just wanted him to go away. I'm so sorry Rory. I screwed up."

Rory looks down at his lap, his lips pressed together and his hands tightly gripping the blanket, no longer in movement. He doesn't say a word.

"It's okay to be mad at me Rory," Finn adds, sensing the problem. "I deserve it. I'm not going to stop being your friend or abandon you at the hospital because you yell at me for this."

Slowly Rory looks up at him. His eyes are wet with unshed tears that stubbornly refuse to fall. He looks furious, but still doesn't speak up. Finn wishes Rory would yell at him, it would probably be easier to deal with if he at least knew where he stood.

"Have they called my parents?" he asks at last in a rough voice.

"I don't know. Though Figgins does have access to all your records, so there is a good chance that might happen. It might be a good idea to call them yourself, let them hear it directly from you without their skewed idea of what happened," Kurt says, reaching forward to pat the younger boys shoulder but Rory flinches away.

There's another long silence.

"Brittney, Santana and the other girls," Rory asks at last. "What happened to them?"

That was the question Finn had been dreading the most. He knows Rory's not going to take it well.

"They've been suspended for two weeks."

Rory's face goes stony and he stares straight ahead, eyes wide and panic stricken. His breathing speeds up again, coming in short painful gasps.

"Oh no you don't!" Kurt sits down on the edge of the hospital bed and turns Rory's head, forcing Rory to look at him. "You need to breathe Rory. You cannot do this to yourself again. Take slow, deep breaths. Hyperventilating is off limits."

"I… can't," he gasps, his entire body shaking.

"Yes you can. If you don't the alarms are going to go off, a bunch of doctors will swarm in and you'll have to go back on oxygen, which will make things even more overwhelming. Just forget about everything else and focus on breathing. Do it with me." Kurt holds Rory's hand and takes slow exaggerated breaths. Rory continues to shake, but he's able to mimic Kurt's breathing until it finally returns to a near normal rate.

Finn desperately wants to step in and take over Kurt's role of comforting Rory. Yet he refrains since he gets the distinct impression that his close presence would have the opposite of a calming effect on Rory right now. In this moment he's the bad guy and Kurt is the neutral bystander.

* * *

><p>Once Rory calms down and is able to somewhat relax, Kurt manages to convince him to call his parents and tell them what happened. The argument that really wins Rory over on this one is that getting them on his side is the only way he'll be able to lessen the Troubletones punishment and prevent them from facing anything more serious.<p>

On the phone Rory downplays what happened _a lot._The way he describs it, the injury occurred during the 'friendly' game and there was absolutely no malicious intent behind it. He also makes the injury out to be quite minor and claims that the only reason he's still in the hospital is because the doctors are massively paranoid and inexperienced with his disorder. Speaking of incompetent, Rory also fails to mention that his American guardians have been inexplicably absent. Kurt can only hope that the Flanagan's are familiar enough with their son's stubbornness in this matter to be able to read between the lines of what he is telling them.

"Rory, I really am very sorry about what I did," Finn says again, as soon as Rory's done talking to his parents. "I guess I just don't respond well to high stress situations. I just react and don't think things through, I don't think clearly _at all_. I guess that's kind of been evident from the moment Santana and I got into the fight onwards."

"That's not true. You were just trying to look out for me, which is what you've been doing this whole time. Forget about it Finn. You're a good mate." Rory smiles at him, yet he still won't quite meet his eyes. As determined as Rory is to let it go, it's clear that a certain level of tension still exists between the two of them now.

Kurt wants desperately to play peacemaker between the two of them, since Finn looks so sad by this new dynamic, yet isn't sure how. It would be so much easier if Rory let some of his feelings out since, beyond the initial near panic attack, he's been tightly bottling it all up. He really hasn't reacted at all in any constructive way. There's almost a level of complete disengagement in the way he's processing it, which is almost equally as worrying than if he had a complete breakdown.

"So what would you like to do now?" asks Finn awkwardly. "You've been stuck in this room all day so we could get a wheelchair and take you on a tour of your first American hospital… or we could watch tv?"

"Em, could we just watch one of the movies Kurt's Da brought over? I know I said I loved everything about America, but hospitals are the exception."

Kurt suspects that Rory declined because he is also starting to hurt again. Even though it's only been a little over an hour since he last received medicine for it, Rory's become tense and pale just like he had been all morning. Obviously the emotional trauma could account for the tension, but it wouldn't explain how much paler he's become.

"That would be fun. Would you like to watch Toy Story? I assume you like it since you wouldn't shut up about having a toy Woody an hour ago."

"Okay," says Rory, blushing furiously. Finn shoots Kurt a look that clearly states his disapproval that he's teasing him right now. He's probably right.

Kurt put in the DVD and the three of them settle in for a quiet afternoon. Kurt and Finn both sit in one of the uncomfortable chairs next to the bed, which is noteworthy because just a half hour ago one of them would have undoubtedly gotten on the bed with Rory. Yet in this moment, hopefully _just_this moment, it would have felt too uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>When they're almost through the movie, Rory's nurse comes in with a pair of crutches. "All right darling, I've got good news from your doctor. If you can do two things for me, you can go home today."<p>

"What's that?" asks Finn excitedly. Both of them are eager for a happy distraction to get Rory's mind off his worries. Right now they're eating him alive.

"You need to be able to move around the room in an upright position while keeping your blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate at acceptable levels. And you need to eat something."

Rory scowls when she gets to the latter requirement. Now that she mentions it, Finn realizes that he hasn't had a single thing to eat or drink since he got to the hospital. He's been so distracted by other issues that it had totally slipped by him. Once the nurse is done here Finn will have to hound him about that.

Another thing to consider is the exact logistics of Rory leaving the hospital. Finn would not be at all comfortable with Rory going back to Brittney's place while he is still recovering, given the families un-involvement thus far. That would mean…

"Hey Rory, since we still haven't heard back from the Pierce's, if you pass the test you'll be coming home with us."

Rory looks shocked, but a small smile slowly spreads across his face. "Really? To the Hummel-Hudson house? Would your Ma and Da be okay with that?"

"Of course they would be. You're far too adorable to turn away Rory Flanagan," Kurt says brightly, making Rory blush again. Yet he grins up at them, in the first genuine smile since before the dodge ball game.

The nurse gets Rory set up with the crutches and she and Finn help him to slowly stand up, being mindful to keep his weight off of his right leg. As soon as he's fully upright all of the remaining color instantly drains from Rory's face and he sways dangerously. Almost in unison Finn and Kurt rush forward to grab either one of his arms before toppling over even becomes an option.

"M'fine," Rory whispers, but clearly he's not.

"Okay, let's forgo the crutches. Just use your friends for support and hop a few feet forward and then come back."

Even that simple task seems to be too tall of an order for Rory. Within seconds of moving he's breathing heavily as if he's running a marathon and he's slumps up against Finn, completely winded. If either one of them lessened their grip on him just a little he would likely end up crumpling to the floor. By the time they turn around they're practically carrying Rory and when they get him back on the bed he's drenched in sweat and shaking from the effort. It's shocking how quickly Rory fell apart because up until now he's appeared to be getting progressively better.

"I failed the test didn't I?" gasps Rory as the nurse takes his vitals.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but I'm not liking any of your numbers. Especially your blood pressure, that's way too low. Based on your records this is the worst any of them have been since you first came in. It looks like you're staying here another night."

"Does that mean I don't have to eat?"

"No," says Finn firmly. "This could easily be the reason you got lightheaded. I know hospital food sucks, so why don't we send Kurt out to the take out place of your choosing? The two of us haven't had lunch yet anyway."

"Why does it have to be me?"

"When we came in I was so occupied with Rory I wasn't paying attention to where you parked the car. I wouldn't have the slightest idea where to find it." That is only half true. In reality Finn just can't bring himself to leave Rory's side, especially not now that he seems to be going backwards.

"I'm really not hungry."

"Well tough, because we are. So either tell me what you'd like or you might end up with something nasty that Finn will force you to eat anyway."

Rory requests take out from Breadstix, but it seems as if he only does so purely because he lacks the energy to argue. Kurt calls in the order and watches the last ten minutes of the movie with them, before heading out to pick up the order.

"Do you want to watch another one, or take a nap?"

"Doesn't matter," Rory murmurs softly, still quite winded.

Finn puts in a new DVD at random, not really caring what it is. He's becoming increasingly worried about Rory. He doesn't look at all well. This doesn't seem like it should be a normal reaction.

They're nearly fifteen minutes into the new movie, some generic romantic comedy, when Rory speaks up again.

"Finn?"

"Yeah buddy?"

"I don't feel so good," Rory says so quietly he almost doesn't hear it.

"What's wrong Rors?"

"I feel sick. Not like I'm hurt or blood deprived, like sick-sick."

Upon inspection Finn can see that Rory's cheeks are flushed red and he's shivering under the multiple blankets. Instantly Finn reaches over to feel his forehead. Rory's completely burning up. He's certainly progressed beyond the point of the "light" fever everyone's been claiming is just a reaction to the blood transfusion. It's been hours since Rory's had one anyway.

Finn immediately presses the emergency call button.

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Kurt opens the door to the car he's hit with the rancid smell of blood and vomit. Just a day ago he wouldn't have even recognized the smell of blood, but now it is unmistakable. Reluctantly he looks into the backseat and sees all of the used tissues and the multiple blood stains on the seat from when Rory had thrown up in the car. Kurt quickly turns his head away; looking at it brings back painful flashbacks from the previous day he'd rather not think about.

Kurt rolls down all of the windows and does his best not to breathe through his nose as he drives home and pulls into the garage of his dads shop. The mess in the back needs to be dealt with right away. Not only is it likely going to get worse with time, but he's also concerned about how Finn and Rory would react if confronted with such reminders when they take Rory home tomorrow. Kurt tracks down his dad and together the two of them proceed to rip out the upholstery from the backseat.

"I'll put in a rush order for a new one, in the meantime we can just throw a blanket over the exposed cushions," says his dad once they are done twenty minutes later. "So you say Rory's staying in the hospital for another night?"

"Unfortunately. We were all hoping he would be released today, but that's not going to happen. Will you be okay with us missing another day of school? We just can't leave him alone. Also, we kind of told Rory he can stay with us once he gets out…"

Burt sighs. "Well, I'm not thrilled with the idea of you guys skipping school and offering up our home without consulting us first, but I certainly can't fault you kids for being too compassionate. And of course Carol and I aren't going to turn away an injured boy. Though what's going on with the family he's supposed to be staying with?"

"I have no idea Dad. We haven't heard from them since I called them last night. I'm starting to think they might have forgotten, or maybe they just don't care. I don't know what their deal is."

Kurt can tell that his dad is resisting the urge to demand the Pierces number so he can give them a piece of him mind. Yet before Burt even has a chance to enter such a tirade, Kurt's cell phone goes off. Finn's probably getting desperate for food and is wondering what's taking him so long.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Kurt! I need you have to come back now, it's Rory, we've got a situation here."

"What's happened?" Kurt can feel his heart already pounding in his chest in panic.

"Rory has a high fever. It just came out of nowhere. The doctors think that one of his injuries is infected. He's really sick….Kurt, I can't do this on my own. Please hurry back!"

"I'm on my way right now," says Kurt, reaching for his keys. But his father, who had been listening in on the conversation, was already a step ahead of him. He had already gotten the car started and motioned for Kurt to get into the passenger seat before quickly pulling away.

* * *

><p>The minutes following the sudden spike in Rory's temperature were a complete whirlwind. Doctors and nurses are constantly swarming around the room taking blood samples, hanging new bags of IVs, giving him pills, examining every inch of his body (Finn had to look away a few times) and doing countless other things. In the center of all this is Rory whose small frame is almost completely swallowed up by all the activity around him; he looks so lost. He has been stripped down to just his underwear to try to bring down the fever, revealing a frightening cascade of large bruises all across his torso. Finn keeps trying to get close to Rory to be with and otherwise comfort the feverish boy, but someone always ends up pushing him out of the way. Yet Rory is too spaced out and delirious right now to even notice that his friend has been more or less backed into a corner.<p>

When Kurt comes bursting back into the room, Finn could not be more relieved, especially when he sees that Burt is right behind him. He's never been happier for adult intervention in his life.

Kurt freezes on the spot, his eyes going wide as he takes in Rory. He certainly hadn't been in a good state when Kurt had left, but in just forty minutes he's become so much worse. It must be quite a shock to see the sudden change without having witnessed it happening as Finn had, though that had been equally traumatic.

"Rory?" Kurt whispers, stepping forward to lightly stroke his sweat soaked hair.

"C-can I please have a blanket?" he stammers, shivering violently. Kurt reaches down to pick up one of the quilts that has been tossed to the side, but is stopped by one of the doctors.

"Don't," he says, looking up from a lab report that had just been brought in. "I know you mean well, but his temperature is dangerously high, he needs to be cooled down. Are you his guardian?" That last comment was directed at Burt.

"What's wrong with him?" Burt counters, completely dodging the question. Obviously he doesn't want to lie, but realizes how important it is for Rory to have someone right now.

"The tests confirm that there is bacteria growing in his blood, he's septic. We don't know the exact cause of this infection. The problem is it could be any number of things. It could be from his nose, his port, the catheter, any of the many bruises, from his knee or even from an old injury we aren't aware of. It's also possible that one of the blood products he received was contaminated with bacteria. There are too many variables going on right now. His body is already in an extremely weakened state from the blood loss. We're going to move him to the PICU."

"What's that?" That was way too much information to take in, and none of it is good. Finn's mind is reeling trying to process this all.

"Pediatric intensive care unit. We can monitor him more closely there. We're taking him down now and once we get him settled in, you guys can join him."

Without even giving them a chance to respond they began pushing Rory's bed out of the room, moving quickly. The sudden movement jolts Rory back into alertness. He looks around in panic, clearly confused by what's going on and begins weakly flailing around in bed.

"Kurt? Finn?"

Immediately they are at his side, jogging alongside the bed in order to keep up with the doctors.

"We're here Rory. You're pretty sick, so you're being moved to another room. We'll meet you in there in just a few minutes."

"Don't leave me," he begs. Finn grasps Rory's hand in his, as they continue to move briskly down the hallway. He knows that time is of the essence, but at this moment Finn hates the doctors for not slowing down to allow them to have this conversation.

"I promise I'm not going leave you. We can't come in right now, but we'll be right outside and it will only be a few minutes."

They come to a set of double doors labeled "PICU" and they are forced to step aside and let the doctors take him through without them. As soon as Finn lets go of his hand Rory begins to whimper, looking back at him with pleading eyes. The delirium seems to be completely preventing him from understanding what's happening, making him feel abandoned. Having to let them take Rory away from them when he's in this state is easily one of the most painful moments Finn has ever experienced.

* * *

><p>For several terrible minutes Kurt and Finn just stood by the double doors to the PICU, going back and forth between staring through the window and at each other, completely unsure what to do. Eventually his dad finds them, having first collected all of their stuff from Rory's former hospital room into a bag, and leads them to a set of couches just a few yards from the door. As Kurt sits down he comes to the awful realization that they must have been purposefully placed here for families in similar situations. It makes him sick to think of the number of people who must have previously sat in this spot, desperately waiting for news on their critically ill child. Just like them.<p>

"All right, I'm stepping in," Burt says, breaking him out of his dark thoughts. "You two have been incredible, but at this point Rory really needs a parent watching over him and you two need a decent nights sleep. Once it gets dark I want you guys to go home. I'll stay with him for the night."

"No way!" Finn immediately responds, looking like he might actually start to cry soon. "I'm not leaving him. I promised I wouldn't do that. "

"You won't be abandoning him kid, just temporarily passing the baton to someone else."

"I'm _not_ leaving him!"

It occurs to Kurt that apart from right now and the two times he was forced to briefly step out into the hallway for a minute, Finn has literally not left Rory's side since this happened. With that in mind, there's no way they're going to get Finn to leave Rory tonight without first drugging him and dragging him away kicking and screaming.

"Dad, I so appreciate what you're doing, but it would probably be best if we discussed this later. We're too worried about Rory right now to think clearly."

"Okay," Burt agrees, thankfully appearing to read between the lines of what Kurt had said. They sit in silence for a few minutes after that, until one of the doctors from earlier emerges. All three of them jump to their feet.

"You guys are the family of Rory Flanagan, correct?"

"We're with Rory," says Burt. He really will make a great politician.

"Right, so Mr. Flanagan is quite upset which is making things difficult. I'd like backtrack on what we said before and have just one of you come in to keep him calm, but only one of you and try not to get in the way."

Kurt and Finn look at each other, both wanting to be the one to go in, but also wanting what would be best for Rory.

"I guess you should probably go Kurt," says Finn slowly, looking pained. "You're like the panic attack whisperer with him and are better at emotional stuff than I am. "

"No, you're way closer to him than I am. He must be terrified right now. You're the one he's going to want, not me. In this moment, any conflict between you two isn't going to matter. Go." Finn doesn't need telling twice and rushes in once the doctor unlocks the doors for him and tells him where to go.

"Is he going to be okay?" asks Kurt, once Finn is out of sight.

"Honestly we're not sure. We've got him on an aggressive dose of antibiotics that should already be working to kill the infection. However if he goes into full blown septic shock, things could get serous very quickly. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't be nearly this sick. His body has already been through a significant trauma from the blood loss and to go through one all over again less than 24 hours later is sending him into a tailspin. He just can't handle it."

"What exactly do you mean by serious?"

"Going into septic shock while still recovering from a recent bout of hypovolemic shock could likely send him into multi-organ failure. But we're doing everything possible to make sure that doesn't happen. We're treating this very aggressively. The next 12 hours are going to be critical. If we can get him through that he'll most likely be in the clear and we can go back to treating this like a normal infection."

Kurt is completely stunned. Amid all that medical jargon the doctor had basically just told them that Rory could die. It had just been a nosebleed, just a simple nosebleed brought on by a silly schoolyard game. How could it have possibly come to this? Just a day ago his biggest concern had been the school president election and NYADA. Those things seem so trivial now.

His dad pulls him into a tight hug. "It's alright kid, let it out," he murmurs rubbing his back. It's only then that Kurt realizes that he's sobbing uncontrollably and has been for the past few minutes.

* * *

><p>When Finn enters the room Rory is struggling in bed, extremely distressed, as several nurses attempt to hold him down so that the doctors can work on him. Finn hovers at the door awkwardly, unsure what to do.<p>

"Are you his friend? Thank god. If we can't calm him down soon we'll have to restrain him to the bed. Please come."

"Rory?" Finn asks softly, but gets no reaction. He moves so that he's right by the bed and stands directly in his line of vision. "Rory, look at me. It's Finn, Finn Hudson."

"Finn?" Rory stops struggling and looks in his general direction, but his glazed eyes can't quite seem to focus. "Are you real?"

"Yeah, buddy I'm here for real," Finn sits down on the edge of the bed and grips his hand in his. "I need you to calm down and lie still. Let the doctors help you."

Rory obeys, but at the same time his face crumples and he breaks down into tears. "You…left…me," he gasps between sobs.

"No I didn't. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 7

_**I rarely get personal in this context, yet I'm going to break that for a spell and dedicate this story to Mari, a young student of mine who passed away over the weekend, and her entire family. Also to Ethan, Faith and Alena who were also lost this year.**_

* * *

><p>The wait out in the hallway with his dad was excruciatingly painful and far longer than they had anticipated. Kurt is so thankful that they allowed Finn to go in when they did, because if they had been separated for nearly an hour after claiming it would only be a few minutes none of them would have taken it well.<p>

Finally, after way too long, the doctor they spoke to earlier came out. "You can go in now. We've gotten him as stable as he's going to be tonight. However in the PICU we have a very strict rule that only two visitors are allowed in the room at any one time." That's not ideal, but considering they're not actually family Kurt's glad they're being let in at all.

"Have you figured out what's making him so sick?" asks Burt.

"Not yet, we've taken cultures from every possible site, but won't have results until tomorrow. In the meantime the IV antibiotics will have an effect regardless of where the original source is."

"How exactly did this happen? It just came out of nowhere?" asks Kurt, voicing the one thing he can't stop wondering.

"It seems like it, but that's unlikely to be the case. Rory's probably felt this coming on all day, but just didn't say anything until it became too serious to ignore. It's not uncommon for kids with chronic illnesses to go out of their way to hide medical problems and, from what I've read on his chart from nurses, he would certainly fit that profile."

So that would make this partially their fault. Kurt had been afraid of that. Both of them had suspected from the moment Rory woke up that something wasn't quite right. Yet they had bought into every single one of Rory's lies and hadn't pursued their concerns further. Even though Rory wasn't giving them much to go off of they should have been more observant.

"Kurt you go in and, if you can, send Finn out. I'd like to tell him privately what the doctor just told us. After that I'm going to see if I can track down Rory's cell phone in his bag so I can contact his parents."

Kurt winces at the awful tasks his dad has taken on. Both sound like the worst conversations in the world to have.

In order to enter the PICU Kurt has to pick up the phone by the door and tell the nurse on the other line his name and who he's here to visit before the doors are unlocked for him. Once inside he then has to wash his hands with harsh disinfectant soap before he's allowed to enter Rory's new room.

Rory has on an oxygen mask and is attached to far more hospital equipment then before. There are multiple monitors up that release a constant orchestra of noise and have glowing lines that are always in movement in a way that is almost hypnotizing. Rory's eyes are open, but saying he's awake would be a stretch. Finn is sitting on the edge of the hospital bed speaking softly to him.

"Finn my dad wants to talk to you out in the hallway. And before you protest it's about what the doctor told us about Rory after you left. You can't talk about it in front of him," Kurt whispers the last part in his ear so Rory can't overhear.

"Is it important?"

"It is." His voice cracks as it he says it, but for Finn's sake he refuses to let himself break down again.

"Okay, I'll be quick. Look after him."

"You know I will."

Reluctantly Finn leaves the room, though it looks like doing so is killing him. Almost as soon as he leaves a nurse enters the room, begins fiddling with his equipment and takes his temperature.

"How's he doing?" asks Kurt quietly.

"His temperature's still way up there, but he's holding on as well as could be expected."

"Is it okay to touch him?" Rory looks so incredibly fragile right now he's scared of accidentally hurting him.

"Of course it is."

"Could I hold him? Or would that get in the way?"

"It would a little, but go ahead," she said sadly, appearing to be thinking along the same lines as Kurt. If Rory were to die tonight, at the very least he shouldn't be alone and devoid of human contact. Kurt lowers the railing on one side of the hospital bed and lies down next to him, wrapping his arms around Rory spoon-style. Through this intimate contact Kurt can feel just how warm Rory really is and that he's still shaking slightly, no longer enough to see, but he can definitely feel the light tremble.

"Finn?" his voice is muffled through the oxygen mask.

"No it's Kurt, but Finn will be back soon."

"He'll be back?"

"Yes and until then I've got you."

"Okay, I like you too." Wow, could this kid ever not be a sweetheart? If there was ever a time he could get a pass for being anything less than that it would be now.

"I don't feel good," he adds in what is certainly the understatement of the year.

"I know, I know baby. You must feel awful," Kurt soothes, pulling him closer. He resists the urge to kiss his head again, realizing it might be interpreted the wrong way. "Try and sleep, you need the rest and will feel better when you wake up."

That last part was a blatant lie, but he felt like he had to say something to give the sick boy some comfort. Within minutes Kurt feels Rory's body relax in his arms as he drifts off to sleep.

Kurt hadn't been watching the clock so he didn't know exactly how long he was alone in the room with Rory, but he does know that his dad and Finn are out far longer than he expected. Finn must not be taking the news well. When he finally does return Finn's eyes are still red from crying and he has on a completely shell shocked expression.

"Do you want to take over?" Kurt asks softly. Rory's out cold so it doesn't matter who is holding him right now, but doing so would benefit Finn more than anything else.

Finn nods, most likely because he doesn't trust himself to speak. It looks like he could fall apart again at any moment. At least it will make him feel as though he's doing something to help in a situation where they are, in reality, completely powerless.

* * *

><p>It's nearly a half hour before his dad appears at the door and when he does he's still on the phone with Rory's parents.<p>

"Could you step outside for a few minutes Kurt? Rory's parents want to talk to him and with these stupid rules I can't go in unless-"

"Go on in," Kurt interrupts, jumping aside so that his dad can enter the small room without breaking the rules. He then watches through the window as his dad and Finn gently poke Rory awake and hold the phone up to his ear for him, since Rory is too weak right now to even manage that. After a few minutes Burt passes the phone over to Finn to hold and steps outside with Kurt. It's been a long time since he's seen his dad cry.

"Too emotional?" Kurt asks, giving his dad a hug.

"You can say that," he says roughly. "I can't not imagine myself in the Flanagan's position right now. This is literally a parent's worst nightmare."

"Are they coming over?"

"No," whispers his dad, looking pained.

"Why not?"

"They want to, by god they want to. The problem is that they live a few hours away from an international airport and it's a ten hour flight from Ireland to Ohio and then another two hours to get to Lima, and that's all under ideal circumstances. By then he'll either be doing much better or… Either way, no matter what happens they won't be able to be with Rory during this crucial time and if they get on a plane, they won't be able to hear any news, talk to him on the phone or make important medical decisions. So right now the painful choice is to wait it out and keep them fully updated. They're faxing over a form to give me authority to make medical decisions if there isn't time to call them and serve as a temporary guardian."

"Wow… I didn't think of any of that."

"That paperwork will allow us to stay with him past visiting hours without lying like you two rather brilliantly did last night."

"Does that mean you'll let us stay?"

"Yes, after the conversation I had with Finn I realize how important it is for you guys. However I did promise his parents that either Carol or I will always stay with him so he's never without an adult guardian. That means you and Finn will have to take turns being in the room with him."

"I'll go wait in the hall first," Kurt said, glancing back in the room at Finn who still had his arms around Rory. Right now Finn needs the comfort of being with Rory more than he does.

* * *

><p>He hadn't been out in the waiting room long, absentmindedly flipping through old magazines without really reading them, when he gets an unexpected surprise.<p>

"Kurt!" he looks up and sees Mercedes, Santana and Brittney walking down the hall towards him, all looking sheepish.

"What are you doing here?" he snaps, a little more bruskly than he had intended. He actually does feel bad for them, since they obviously didn't mean to hurt Rory the way they did, yet given the circumstances it's hard to feel anything but anger.

"Calm down twinkletoes, we're here to apologize to Brittney's platelet challenged Leprechaun," says Santana.

Those particular choices of words made Kurt's blood boil, but he takes a deep calming breath so he can focus on the issue at hand. As much as he wants to, freaking out at them won't help anyone.

"How do you know that? His condition is supposed to be confidential?"

"Figgins more or less told us and Brittney filled in the gaps," says Mercedes mournfully. "Is he okay Kurt? I've been thinking about him all day. I feel terrible. Could I please see him so I can say how sorry I am?"

"No. No he's not okay and you can't see him. Rory is in the ICU, which is why I'm out here because only two people are allowed to be in there at a time. He's seriously hurt and extremely sick. I know you didn't mean to, but the damage your bullying did is severe. The apology will have to wait until if and when he recovers."

"If? What do you mean if?" asks Santana, the smirk now gone from her face and replaced by a look of horror.

Kurt stiffens, realizing what he had just said. He knows that it is the truth that Rory might not recover from this, but to hear it out loud from his own lips makes it seem all the more real. What they did to him seems more real.

"It means exactly what it sounds," he hisses, fighting to keep his cool. "Just… I don't have time to give you a blow by blow account of everything that has happened. Just go. If Finn finds you here he's not going to be as diplomatic about this. He might just kill you."

Without another word Kurt turns away from them, not trusting how he'll react if he looks at them again.

What finally does get him to look up is the sound of crying. The other two have already left, but Mercedes still stands motionless in the hallway shaking and fighting back tears. At this sight Kurt's icy demeanor melts and he steps forward to comfort his best friend.

"This isn't your fault Mercedes. You and I both know that Santana was the one who started it and I know you hadn't intended to hurt him. You just got a bit carried away."

"But I did, I did hurt him. I might not have started it, but I did throw a few of them at him. I've always been against bullying and that was exactly what I was doing. I've never done anything like that in my life. Are you sure I can't see him? I really need to clear my conscience."

"No. I'm sorry, but he's in no state for outside visitors right now and even if he was I think your presence might scare him. Right now Rory's needs come first. You're just going to have to deal with it the best you can."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asks Mercedes desperately.

"Actually yes. Can you go to Toys R Us and get him some Toy Story memorabilia, if they have any? He's really missing his Woody doll which apparently always stays with him when he's in the hospital. I don't really know what any of his other interests are, but maybe you can check his facebook and find out? Anything you could get to lift his sprits would be great."

"I'll drop them off first thing in the morning. Thanks Kurt."

"Mercedes?" he asks, just as she's turning to go. "I don't suppose there's any chance the whole school doesn't know about this by now, is there?"

"I'm afraid not. Your boy Blaine's been making a valiant effort to discourage the rumors, but according to Tina Mr. Schue spoke to the entire Glee club about what happened during today's meeting. By tomorrow morning everyone's going to know."

* * *

><p>The rest of the night passes in a complete blur. Looking back neither Finn nor Kurt can remember half of the things that happened during that horrific twelve hour period. At some point Carol arrives to give them support and provide her unique set of expertise as a nurse. All through the night they sit with Rory in two hour shifts, always making sure that either Finn or Kurt is in the room with him at all times to prevent Rory from panicking. In between shift in the ICU room they sleep on the couches in the waiting room, or more accurately their parents do. Kurt and Finn both spend the time pacing the hallways and texting each other every few minutes for updates on Rory's condition.<p>

Rory sleeps for most of the time, which is actually a good thing because when he is awake he's completely miserable. He spends a lot of time squirming around in the bed, whimpering in pain and discomfort. He also gets these random moments where out of nowhere he becomes extremely agitated. During these times he refuses to wear the oxygen mask, yells for no apparent reason in Gaelic and once attempted to pull out his IVs. Other times he'll be sound asleep and suddenly wake up screaming and struggling to breathe.

The random fever induced mood swings aren't even the scariest thing that happened that night. On two different occasions the alarms on his monitor went off because he isn't getting enough oxygen to a point that required the doctors to increase the amount he was getting from the mask. At around two at night he almost had to go on dialysis since it looked like his kidney were failing, but by some miracle it never quite reached that point. The worst moment thus far happened a few hours after that scare when Rory had a full blown seizure. The doctors said it was just a response to his high fever combined with all the medications he was on and not to worry, though having witnessed his frail body jerking around uncontrollably not worrying is not an option.

But Rory makes it through the night.

_To be continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sorry for the slight delay. There was a lot I wanted to get in this chapter, since this story is going to take a brief hiatus for finals season and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. The next chapter will probably not come for another 2-3 weeks. It's not ideal, but at least won't be as long as this agonizing Glee hiatus.**_

* * *

><p>By the time morning rolls around, with Rory continuing to do "as well as can be expected", Finn is just barely holding it together mentally. He's never been so exhausted in his life from staying up all night and not getting much sleep the night before, but is terrified to go to sleep for even a moment in case something were to happen or Rory needed him. The latter happened frequently since in his delirium Rory became extremely needy and couldn't handle not having either Kurt or himself at arm's reach. And that wasn't even taking into account the bizarre mood swings that required treating him with kid gloves.<p>

What really is making it impossible for sleep to be an option is the constant threat that the younger boy might take a turn for the worse. He had already witnessed far too many near misses throughout the night to leave him forever traumatized. Though the worst of all was when something happened when he wasn't in the room. The texts he received from Kurt when he was forced to take time off were terrifying:

_-"Had another 'episode'. There was lots of screaming and I think he might have been cursing us out in Irish. Now back to his sweet self."_

_ -"His levels dropped again. Increased his O2 and doing ok"_

_ -"Rory just had a seizure. Fine now. Waiting to hear from doctor…"_

That last one was by far the worst. Knowing that the most dangerous thing to happen to Rory thus far had occurred when Finn _wasn't_ there is unbearable to comprehend. In some completely screwed up way he is actually jealous of Kurt for getting to be there when it happened. After that none of them have been able to convince him to trade off with Kurt for the past two "shifts'. Kurt's probably furious at him, but at this point he's beyond being rational.

At around seven in the morning his primary doctor comes in with important news.

"The test results are in. The infection originated from his central line. We think that what happened was that in the rush to get the factor into him as quickly as possible when he came into the ER his central line wasn't accessed sterilely as it should have been, which allowed bacteria to enter his bloodsteam. It would be best if we surgically remove the port."

"Surgery? Have you forgotten that he has hemophilia. You can't just cut him open on a whim!" Finn snaps, no longer caring about being polite. He's exasperated because, as far as he can tell, everyone else seems to have forgotten about the reason he came to the hospital in the first place.

"We'll transfuse him with factor IX and platelets beforehand, so his risk of bleeding out will be minimal. It will take longer than normal for the wound to heal, but with proper precautions it should be fine."

"Precautions that apparently weren't taken two days ago. You just told me the reason Rory's on deaths door is because you guys made some stupid mistake and now you expect me to blindly trust you guys? No!"

"Finn that's enough," cuts in Burt. "I'm sorry, he's just overly protective. Though given his hemophilia the concern is valid. Does it absolutely need to come out?"

"If we want to stop this infection as quickly as possible, then yes it absolutely does. In many ways this is good news because this is something we can remove unlike most of the other possible sources. Removing it will help him out a lot. Can I get you to sign the consent form?"

"If it has to happen right now I will, but I'd like to consult with his parents first. I honestly don't know the first thing about his condition or Rory himself and don't feel confident making this judgment call."

"Yes, but be quick. We already have an OR booked for him."

As Burt calls Rory's parents Finn stares at Rory, who is currently sleeping, and imagines him in surgery. With a tube down his throat like he's seen in the medical dramas Kurt makes him watch and with doctors cutting into his chest. He shudders. Despite what the doctor said Finn is still not convinced that this is the best idea. The thought of anything sharp coming near Rory makes him want to punch someone and, in this case, it would be the surgeons who will be holding the knife.

Trying to distract himself from that impulse, Finn redirects his attention to Burt's phone conversation.

"I understand. Somewhere along the line my two boys seem to have adopted Rory as their little brother without telling us. Not that I mind of course. But yes, I agree that as things progress we should do that."

What were they talking about?

"All right, I'll call you back as soon as I hear more. Hang in there." Burt hangs up the phone before turning to address the doctor who has been impatiently hovering over them. "His parents agree to do the surgery, however they are adamant that Rory needs a central line. Apparently his veins are extremely prone to collapsing and even in the best of circumstances he needs several injections a week."

"That's good to know. If not having a stable circulatory access is dangerous for him we can install a new one while he's already under, but in a different location. Did they say whether he's ever gotten a port infection before?"

"He hasn't."

"Good. In which case we'll bring him down now."

Finn glances at Rory again, imagining how he might react if he wakes up while being wheeled down the hallway, unfamiliar with his surrounding and without Finn. It's a devastating image.

"Can I please come along? I'm terrified of how he'd react if he wakes up and-"

"Yes, that would actually be a good idea given his tendency towards panic attacks and the placating effect you seem to have on him. You can stay until we get him under."

* * *

><p>"Kurt hey, wake up gorgeous."<p>

Startled that he had nodded off Kurt's eyes snapped open and he jolts upright in the chair in panic. He's greeted by the sight of Blaine leaning over him.

"Blaine! What are you-? How long was I out?" he asked in a panic, glancing over at Carol.

"No more than ten minutes, don't worry."

"Rory?"

"Is fine, nothing has changed and I would have woken you up if anything had."

"There's no shame in falling asleep for a few minutes Kurt. Don't be so hard on yourself," says Blaine giving him a kiss on the cheek. Easy for him to say having not spent the night with the sole goal of keeping Rory alive. And he had fallen asleep on the job. That was unacceptable; even though Finn hadn't let him in the room for hours. It's so incredibly frustrating, yet he's trying his best to be patient since he knows Finn is having an especially tough time dealing with this.

"What are you doing here?"

"We tagged along with Mercedes to drop off the supplies you asked for." It's only then that he notices Mercedes and Rachel standing by Carol, each holding an armload of wrapped presents.

"Last night after my visit I got together with New Directions and we all went shopping for him. As an apology and get well soon gift. I also got some decorations for his room. Is he up for visitors right now?" asks Mercedes hopefully.

"No. He just got taken down to surgery."

"What on earth for? I thought he was in the hospital because of blood loss from the nosebleed?" asks Rachel.

"He has this implanted device in his chest that made it easier for him to get shots of the medicine he needs every few days. I'm not really sure how it works, but somehow it got infected and that's what's making him this deathly sick so they are taking it out."

All three of them stare at him in shock and confusion, none of them seem to realize yet just how bad off Rory really is.

"Did you find him any Toy Story stuff?" Kurt asks Mercedes in order to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Yes! I got him a stuffed animal Bullseye, the horse from the second movie. They also had lots of action figures, but I thought something soft would be more appropriate for a hospital stay. I also got him a Toy Story fleece blanket."

"That's fantastic. Could we unwrap those ones now? Rory won't be up to opening presents anytime soon, but those would be great comfort items for him to have. He's in a lot of pain and such."

What Kurt is really thinking is that they might help with Rory's random emotional breakdowns, but isn't going to betray his trust and reveal that to the others.

"What is _she_ doing here?" came a bellow from across the hall. It's Finn, having returned from taking Rory to the operating room, red faced and furious. Kurt had been afraid of this.

"I brought some presents and such for Rory. To apologize. We also wanted to see how he's doing," said Mercedes softly, looking terrified. Kurt would be too if Finn's death glare was directed at him.

"And what, you think that will make it all better?" Finn snarls. "You did this! You attacked him! He could die and it's all your fault! How can you even live with yourself?"

Kurt and Blaine both move so that they are standing in between the two of them in case he loses control altogether. Finn looks slightly deranged.

"I didn't mean to hurt him. I would never. I'm so sorry…" whispers Mercedes.

"Shut up. You have no fuc-"

"Finn!" Carol interrupts, firmly taking her son by the arm. "It's time to take a break. Come with me to get some coffee. Now!"

"But Mom, I can't just let-"

"Either you walk away right now or I'm making you go home to get some sleep. Your choice."

That threat was enough. With one last furious look at Mercedes, Finn huffs away behind his mom.

"Oh my god Mercedes, I'm so sorry," says Kurt once he's out of sight, turning towards his rigid and shell shocked friend. "He doesn't mean it. He's just terrified and sleep deprived and isn't great at expressing his emotions so it comes out in anger."

"He has a right to be mad at me. It is my fault."

"No Mercedes, the reality is Finn actually blames himself for what happened but doesn't know how to process it, so he's taking it out on you. Don't take anything he said personally."

Mercedes doesn't say anything.

"Well, um, I guess we better go so we're not late to first period," says Rachel uncomfortably. "The student body president speeches are today Kurt. You'll be there right?"

"Not a chance. I'm staying here." How could she even _think _that mattered right now?

"Okay, well all the presents are in this bag," says Blaine, handing them over. "And in this one is all of the decorations for his room. We got wall pinups of his favorite stuff according to his facebook page and some St. Patricks day decorations from a party store. They actually sell them even though it's November. Take care of yourself Kurt."

"Thanks," Kurt whispers giving each of them a hug and his boyfriend a quick kiss.

Even in his exhausted and emotionally numb state, Kurt can't help but notice as they are leaving the intense look on Rachel's face. She's up to something.

* * *

><p>Once Finn successfully convinces his Mom that he's calmed down, even if it's not entirely true, she allows him return to Rory's hospital room to wait for his return from surgery. In the brief time that he had been out Kurt had decorated the room with a bunch of pictures and St. Patrick's Day decorations. The room has become an explosion of Irishness. Hopefully it will put a smile on Rory's face. If it can achieve that it will almost be enough for Finn to forgive Mercedes for what she did to him. Almost.<p>

After a half hour of agonizing anxious waiting a nurse comes in to report that the surgery had gone well and that there hadn't been any uncontrollable bleeding as Finn had feared. He couldn't be more relived. At least that's one thing less thing on the mile long list for him to worry about.

Instead of bringing him to the recovery room, as is typical after surgery, he's brought right back to the PICU so he can be more closely monitored. Because of this he's still under the influence of the anesthesia. He's still half asleep when out of nowhere he starts to vomit as a side effect.

"Finn, sit him up or he'll choke," his mom orders, grabbing a nearby kidney basin and holding it under his chin so that no more of the sick gets on his bare chest. Finn sits behind Rory on the bed and holds him up firmly in his arms as he continues to throw up stomach fluid and dry heave. In this moment it's probably a good thing he hasn't had anything to eat for nearly two days.

"I know honey, this isn't fair," his Mom soothes once he's done and Rory starts to cry out of sheer misery. It is completely unfair that he has to suffer through this on top of everything else he's already going through. The poor kid just can't catch a break.

His mom gets a washrag to clean him up and continues to speak lovingly to him in a very motherly way as she does so. Once done she leans over and gives him a gentle kiss on the forehead. That ended up being a bad move.

"Mammy?" Rory asks, eyes closed and still completely delirious.

"No honey, it's Carol. I'm Finn's mom." Finn can tell by the look in her eyes that her heart is completely breaking right now. Finn's had already broken into dust hours ago.

"Where's mine?" asks Rory, his voice breaking as his tears increase in intensity. Neither of them knows how to respond to that.

"I…want…me…Mammy!" Rory gasps in between desperate, body-convulsing sobs. Finn was wrong; his heart can still be broken into smaller pieces.

This time around there is nothing they can do to calm him down. Finn holds him tight and rocks him in his arms; he even tries singing to him in desperation. His mom gives Rory the Bullseye that their friends had brought in which Rory clings to like a lifeline, but it does nothing to stop the outpour of raw, fever-induced emotion. Eventually the doctors are forced to give him a strong sedative that completely knocks him out mid cry.

That surgery had better work, because Finn doesn't know how much more of this he can take.

* * *

><p>Kurt paces back and forth down the hospital hallway, waiting for news. Or for Finn to stop being so stubborn and take a break so that he can spend some time with Rory. Five hours into Finn's Rory-time embargo and his patience is now running dry. So much so that when Blaine calls him on his cell phone he can't help but snap at him in irritation for interrupting his brooding.<p>

"What do you want?"

"Kurt, the election speeches are going on right now." This again? Can't anyone take some perspective?

"I know Blaine!" he snaps. "We've already talked about this. Do you really think I give a damn about that right now?"

"Rachel just withdrew and is giving a speech endorsing you on the grounds of what you are doing for Rory. I'm putting the phone on speaker and holding it up. Just listen!"

"So I ask you all, who do you want to be your president? Rick the Stick, who is a known bully. Brittney, who attacked a freshmen member of the Glee club and injured him badly enough to put him in the hospital? Yet is somehow still allowed to run despite being suspended for this. Or do you want Kurt, who personally took the injured student to the hospital and hasn't left his side since. Kurt Hummel cares more about looking after this one student, this one freshmen, then he does winning this election, which he needs to get into the college of his dreams. But to him this kid is more important. Now, if Kurt would do all that for just one student he didn't even know, imagine what he might do for the entire school if he gets elected?"

Kurt is so very touched by what Rachel is doing for him. Yet she couldn't have gone about it in a worse way. Now the entire school is going to know what happened to Rory.

As if he didn't already have enough to worry about.

* * *

><p>Rory feels like he's been dragged to hell and back followed by a quick trip through the meat grinder. He thought he felt bad earlier, but this has reached a whole new level of yuckiness. His head is pounding, he's nauseous, his lungs feel like sponges, the rest of him feels like lead and he's simultaneously freezing cold and extremely hot. Right now he would like nothing more than to go back to sleep and make it go away, but the pain and that god-awful beeping noise overhead isn't making that an option. He forces himself to open his eyes.<p>

The first thing he notices is that he's holding something soft, a stuffed horse… no it's Bullseye. He has a stuffed Bullseye! He'd be excited if the next thing he notices wasn't that he's almost completely naked, save for his underwear. He wishes he wore boxers today (yesterday? Two days ago? Three?) instead of briefs so he'd be slightly less exposed.

Just to make things even weirder there are pictures of NASCAR, Elvis and Stonehendge all across the hospital room walls which, incidentally, is not the room he remembers being in. Meanwhile there are shamrock streamers hanging overhead. He's entered the twilight zone.

He's relieved to spot Finn sitting in the corner hunched over his cell phone. There are bags from lack of sleep under his swollen eyes, he looks like a complete wreak. Rory hopes that everything's okay.

"Finn?" He's alarmed by how weak his voice sounds. It comes out in an almost squeak.

Finn is immediately is by his side, stroking his cheek and speaking to him as if he's a small child. "Rory, hey sweetheart it's okay. I'm here. Just relax."

What on earth? This is even more alarming then all the other weirdness thus far.

"Where am I? What's happening?" he croaks out.

Finn looks startled. "Rory? Are you with me?" He waves his hand in front of his face. Rory flinches away.

"As opposed to what Finn Hudson?"

Finn lets out a whoop of joy and bounces out of sight.

"Mom, he's awake! Like, for real."

Rory tries to move so he can see who Finn's talking to, but his body doesn't seem to be listening to his demands. Even turning his head slightly takes an extravagant amount of effort. What's wrong with him?

Finn's back by his side, grasping his hands in his and is simultaneously crying and grinning. If Rory wasn't so exhausted he might just start panicking, since this could not get any freakier.

"What's happening?" he asks again.

A woman he doesn't know comes into his line of vision. "You got a bad infection from your port and you're in the PICU. We're so happy to see you doing better."

This is doing better? He's never felt so sick in his life. His head is reeling with a million questions, but he can't seem to organize his thoughts. His brain feels weird, like he's been caught in a light fog that's slowing everything down.

"Who are you?" he asks at last, since this woman isn't wearing any hospital employee attire, yet is acting overly familiar.

"I'm Carol, Finn's mom. We've already met, several times actually, but I suppose you were pretty out of it then. What's the last thing you do remember?"

"Em, I definitely remember Toy Story. And I think I can remember telling Finn I felt sick. Everything else is fuzzy." If he thinks hard he can make out some silhouettes of movement happening around him, a few odd phrases and a significant amount of pain, but none of that is helpful.

"That all happened in the late afternoon yesterday. It's now a little after noon. I'll let Finn catch you up on everything that's happened and I'm going to step out to let everyone to let them know you're back with us."

"Everyone?"

"Kurt, my husband, your parents, Mr. Schuster. You've given us all quite the scare."

"My parents and Mr. Schue?" he asks, looking at Finn in alarm as soon as Carol steps out.

"Yes, but I swear I had nothing to do with it. After you got sick our parents took charge of the situation and contacted them. They, um, kind of had to anyway since, um, we weren't sure if you were going to make it for a while."

What? Finn has got to be exaggerating. He can be a little dramatic sometimes.

"Do you really not remember anything after the movie? At all?" There seemed to be some hidden meaning behind that question.

"Nothing… I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I?" he asks, afraid of the answer.

"Not at all," Finn replies, but his tone and face say otherwise. Dear god, what could he have done? Did he cry again? Puke on one of them? Wet himself?

He doesn't have a chance for further inquiry because a doctor, one he hasn't met before, comes into examine him.

"Your temperature is down to 102.5, that is excellent."

"What would that be in Celsius?" he asks since the American measurement system has no meaning to him.

"About 39.2." Whoa, that's considered a big improvement? Just how sick has he been? He wants to ask more, but despite just waking up is so incredibly tired and is having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"At this point it would be all right to cover him up in some blankets. He's probably cold," says the doctor, addressing Finn as if Rory's not capable of speaking for himself.

Finn picks up a pile of blankets from the corner of the room, and gently covers him up with them, essentially tucking him in. One of them looks like it might be a Toy Story blanket, but it could just be his imagination since everything is getting out of focus in his exhaustion.

"Are you sleepy Rors? You look it. Why don't you take a little nap?" Finn coos, petting his hair like he's a puppy. Being treated like a child in incredibly irritating, but Rory doesn't fight it since he's already losing the battle against sleep that is rapidly overtaking him.

The last thing he hears before completely falling under is the doctor's voice:

"I have to stress that Rory is still a very sick young man. He's going to have a long recovery, but I can now say with reasonable confidence that he should recover."

_To be continued…_


	9. Chapter 9

**_Aaand we're back. Thanks for being patient guys! :)_**

* * *

><p>Kurt is alone in the hospital hallway continuing his nervous pacing, no longer trusting himself to sit down. Since the congressional elections are tonight his dad had to leave for an hour to make a brief appearance at a campaign rally. He's already missed the majority of the events he had planned yesterday night and today, so Kurt had insisted that he at least go to this one or risk losing the election. The stupid student body election might not matter, but this does. There's too much at stake, not as much as Rory's life of course, but still not enough to just completely blow off the way Kurt had done with his election.<p>

When Kurt sees his step mom emerging from the PICU doors his stomach immediately drops in dread. They've both been so strict thus far in following their promise to the Flanagan's to not leave Rory without an adult, so his mind immediately jumps to the worst case scenario of what would have caused her to leave. He braces himself for the worst. Though what he doesn't expect was for a smile to spread across her face as she looks at him.

"He's awake and lucid! I just had a completely coherent conversation with Rory, where he was asking questions and attending to the answers. His fever is also down a few degrees. I think he's finally turned the corner."

"Really?" asks Kurt hesitantly. After everything they've been through in the past two days he's afraid to get his hopes up. "How is he? How did he seem?"

"A bit confused, he can't remember anything since before he was switched rooms. But he was calm and emotionally stable, which was a first for me."

Kurt smiles at that, but refuses to let his emotional guard down.

"Finn's with him now refreshing his memory. Would you like to join them? I have a few calls to make about this happy development so there's a visitor slot open. And once I'm done I'll force Finn to take a break. You've been so mature about this but what he's been doing hasn't been fair to you."

Kurt eagerly takes off, going through all of the complex procedures required to enter the PICU before coming to Rory's room. He's terribly disappointed to find Rory sleeping because without seeing and hearing the improvement for himself it's going to be hard to put his mind at ease.

"Hi, did he go back to sleep?" he asks Finn glumly as his steps into the room.

Finn nods, but does so with a big grin across his face.

"Carol said he's doing a lot better?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah it was fantastic! Rory was asleep so I was in the corner texting Rachel when he suddenly called out to me. I jumped up expecting a 'you left me' meltdown, but instead I got normal Rory, not whatever these past 15 hours have been."

That is such incredible news. Rory actually does look better. He no longer needs the oxygen mask and no longer looks like death warmed over. Now he just looks like a sleeping boy with a bad case of the flu. Finally Kurt allows himself to hope.

"Do you think he's going to make it?"

"Yes! Kurt, that's what the doctor said! He told me that he's definitely going to recover." As he says this Finn is literally bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, unable to contain himself with excitement. Kurt can't either. Overcome with a flood of positive emotions (for once) he pounces on Finn and the two of them squeeze each other and giggle stupidly in manic relief.

"Finn?" Kurt asks once they finally pull away. "When Carol comes back can I please stay with Rory? You've had him all day and it's well past my turn. I can't take being stuck in the hallway anymore. I'm going insane."

"Oh I guess I kind of have been here all day haven't I? Yeah, uh, I guess I can take a break. Now that he's doing better it doesn't matter so much anyway."

"Fantastic!" Kurt wants to call Finn out on just how selfish he's been acting and remind him that he's not the only one who's been suffering from this emotionally, but decides that this isn't the time or place. Arguing over Rory's sick bed would be in terrible taste.

* * *

><p>Finn and Kurt were able to sit together in the PICU for about ten more minutes with Finn filling him in on everything the doctor said, before his dad came to swap places with Finn, having returned from his very brief campaign appearance. When Finn had to step out it was obvious by his expression how difficult it was for him and found himself feeling bad for him in spite of everything.<p>

His dad falls asleep almost as soon as sitting down in the sole semi comfortable chair in the room, for which Kurt is grateful. Not only does that allow him to truly have alone time with Rory, but also because he is worried about how the massive stress of Rory's condition combined with the election might effect on his heart.

Kurt's playing with Rory's hair in all its bed head glory when his eyes slowly flutter open.

"Rory baby, hello! I'm sorry if I woke you. It's so great to see you back in the land of the living."

His expression is unreadable as Rory's eyes dart around the room, taking in all of the over the top decorations, before finally focusing back on Kurt.

"Water?" asks Rory, in horse voice.

Kurt gets him a cup of water from the sink and holds it out to him, uncertain whether he should help Rory or allow him to be independent. Slowly Rory reaches out to grab the cup, but his aim is completely off and his outstretched hand ends up flopping uselessly to the side. With a furrowed brow and slight pout Rory tries again, this time his fingers brush against the cup but he's still not able to grab it.

"Here, I've got it," says Kurt bringing the cup up to Rory's lips before he has a chance to make a third attempt. Even if he is successful after multiple trials his coordination is so clearly off there's no way he could have maneuvered it without spilling everywhere.

"What's _wrong_ with me?" asks Rory once he's done, wearing an adorable look of pathetic confusion. Yep, he's definitely back to normal!

"You're just super weak, that's all," Kurt says with a smile, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "In the past few days your poor little body's hand to deal with massive blood loss, a severe infection, high fever, seizures, kidney failure, difficulty breathing, surgery and a crazy cocktail of medication. I don't blame it for going on strike."

"What?" If anything his explanation made Rory look more confused in a way that's almost comical. Finn had mentioned that Rory has a tendency to not understand figures of speech.

"I don't mean literally, just the way your body's not obeying your commands is like-"

"No, not that. You said seizures, kidney failure and…surgery. I-I don't understand…." Kurt realizes a little too late that Rory's expression isn't made up of just confusion, there's also a great deal of fear.

"Wait, didn't Finn fill you in on everything that happened? Carol told me that he did."

Slowly Rory shakes his head. Crap! What a terrible way to have to find out about it, just having it all listed nonchalantly without explanation. Kurt had really messed up on that one.

"Okay, well none of it is quite as bad as it sounds." He begins, doing his best to sugar coat it, just as he'd done with Finn when he texted him updates last night. "You only had one seizure; I think the doctors called it a febrile seizure from the high fever. It was really scary, but didn't last long. Also you never quite went into kidney failure. You came really close, enough to give us all grey hairs and apparently they're still not where they should be, but they never stopped working all together. The surgery was to replace your central line."

At those words Rory looks down at his chest and his eyes widen in shock when he sees the two fresh surgical scars. "That's why my chest hurts. But…what about my breathing? My lungs hurt too."

"I can't really explain it, but you had a really tough time with that all through the night. You were on a mask for most of the time and the doctors kept having to increase the amount of oxygen it was giving you."

"Am….am I going to be okay?" At this point Kurt can't resist the urge to give him a hug, he just looks so scared.

"Yeah baby, you're going to be fine. The doctors say it will be awhile before you feel well again, but it will happen. You _will_ get better. You already are."

"Why do you keep calling me that?"asks Rory softly. "And Finn was calling me sweetheart. You guys weren't doing that earlier."

Kurt's all for honesty, but the one thing he doesn't want to tell Rory is how the illness affected him emotionally. All the screaming, yelling, crying, neediness, agitation and overall instability that are making them view him as even younger than he is already. Rory not remembering is definitely a blessing in disguise. If he actually could recall all the times they had held him as he screamed and cried, he might never be able to look them in the eyes again.

"It's just that we're so relieved that you're okay. We've been so incredibly scared." That was the truth, but not the complete truth either.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, visibly distressed.

"Oh sweetie no, don't feel bad. Come here." Out of habit Kurt climbs onto the bed and pulls Rory into his arms. Rory immediately stiffens and looks extremely alarmed by this so maybe it wasn't the best idea, but at this point moving would be even stranger. He hopes that Rory's reaction has nothing to do with his sexual orientation.

"This isn't your fault," he continues, temporally putting his reservations aside. "You didn't force us to get emotionally involved and you certainly didn't plan for any of this to happen. There's absolutely no need to apologize."

"What are you doing?"

"Um…Rory-cuddles? It always made you feel better last night when you were feeling bad. If it makes you uncomfortable I can stop."

"I'm not a little kid," answers Rory in a small voice. Kurt takes that as an affirmation and gets up, wondering if Rory would feel the same way if it were Finn.

Rory looks upset once Kurt pulls away and makes what appears to be an attempt to squirm in discomfort, shivering slightly.

"Are you cold?" asks Kurt happy for an excuse to change the subject. "I can get you some more blankets."

"Actually, eh, could you maybe…help me get a shirt on or something? I hate being this exposed, but…I don't think I can manage on me own," Rory's blushing deeply as he makes this request.

"Sure," says Kurt, getting up to find the hospital gown the nurses had left for him earlier. "Though would you like me to wake my dad and have him help you instead?"

"Why? Do you not want to?"

"Not at all. I just thought...Never mind." He thought that if Rory was uncomfortable with physical contact because Kurt's gay, as he's assuming (possibly falsely), then helping him change would also be problematic. This kid is confusing. Maybe he's still having delirious mood swings, just less noticeable?

It's not until he unfolds the gown in preparation that they both notice that, while it's big enough for Rory, it's definitely intended for younger patients since it's covered in blue teddy bears. The look on Rory's face when he sees the childish print speaks volumes.

"Can't I wear the pajamas from earlier?" he squeaks, eyes wide in horror.

"Sorry sweetie, the nurse said that in the PICU you can only wear these gowns. Something about easy access. Would you rather just go with blankets?"

Rory stares down at his bare chest and revealing white underwear, biting his lip. "Just put it on," he whispers at last.

Kurt drapes it over him and gently guides his arms through the gown, but elects not to tie it in the back because he doesn't trust himself to be able to support Rory upright while doing so. Once on, he covers him up with all the blankets, making sure the Toy Story blanket is on top for him to see and hands him Bullseye since it had fallen off the bed. Rory stares at it for a minute, looking conflicted before pushing it aside and muttering that he doesn't need a stuffed animal.

"M' so tired," he adds, his accent once again coming out significantly thicker in a sure sign of fatigue. "But I don't wanna sleep— that's all I've been doing."

"Don't fight it Rory. It's what you need right now. Sleeping will make you feel better."

"Just like you said before?" asks Rory groggily, his eyes already starting to close.

Whoa, was Rory referencing the first time he had held him in the PICU? Did he remember that? If he is starting to remember things that might explain how he's reacting to him. Then again, so could the fever. He still feels extremely warm.

As soon as Rory is fully asleep Kurt picks up the discarded horse and places it back on the bed between Rory's arms. Kurt could tell by his expression that he wanted it, but was just too proud to admit it.

* * *

><p>Once it gets dark out Burt pulls Finn and Kurt out into the hallway and sits them both down, looking serious.<p>

"Listen guys, now that Rory's condition is no longer critical we're going to have to insist that you both come home for the night and get some sleep, as well as a shower and real meal."

Finn immediately opens his mouth to protest.

"No, I don't want to hear it. I know neither of you have been sleeping during your breaks so you're both approaching 48 hours without sleep and even longer since you've had a decent night's sleep in a real bed. You're both reaching the point where you're no longer going to be able to help Rory in the exhausted state you're in. Also know that since I have the authority to make his medical decisions I can have you banned from his room if you don't cooperate, but I would hate for it to come to that."

That last threat shut him up. As much as it's going to kill him to be separated from Rory for a few hours, not being able to see him altogether would be a million times worse.

"But we can't just leave him alone."

"I know kiddo, that's why Carol's going to stay with Rory tonight," says Burt. "He seems quite rational now so I'm sure if we explain it to him he'll be alright with it. She'll take extremely good care of him, probably better than any of us could. It will be like he has a one on one nurse at all times."

Finn sighs. He really has been backed into a corner with this one.

"Fine, but I have to be the one to explain it to him."

"I'm not going to argue with that. What do you think Kurt?"

"I don't want to leave him, but I think if we don't get some sleep soon we're going to go completely insane, if it hasn't happened already."

When Finn reenters the room Rory is wide awake watching tv, propped up by multiple pillows. It's remarkable to see him like this considering just how bad off he was just a few hours ago.

"There's my boy!" says Finn giving a fake cheery smile. "How are you feeling?"

In reply Rory gives him a half shrug, causing the blanket wrapped around him to fall off his shoulders. Finn's kind of in love with the hospital gown Rory's wearing. He's super cute in it and it makes him look even younger then he already is. Combined with the stuffed animal tucked under his arm it's such an endearing image. He can't resist the urge to reach over and ruffle his hair, earning him an odd look from Rory that he can't quite make out.

Finn sits down on the chair by the bed and takes a deep breath, scared that the news of his temporary absence might trigger another panic attack.

"So Rory this, uh, really stinks, but... Kurt and I are being forced against our will to go home for the night. You won't be alone though, my mom is going to stay with you and I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"Oh, okay." Rory looks sad, but otherwise seems okay. Still Finn feels terrible since even if Rory can't remember it he _did_ promise him that he wouldn't leave him.

"I really don't want to, but our parents have us backed into a corner over this. However…" Finn leans in close and whispers this last bit so his mom can't hear. "You could probably convince them to let me stay if you throw a scene."

Rory looks horrified. "Why would I do that? That's not something I do, ever."

Finn quickly backtracks. "Uh never mind, ignore me. I get weird when I'm sleep deprived. So um, will you be okay with my mom staying with you tonight?"

"It's not a problem. I like your ma and you fellas need to sleep. I'm kind of amazed that it's been 3 days and you still haven't left the hospital. You're worse than me parents."

Pulling himself away from Rory's hospital bed is so incredibly hard. Even with him doing so much better he's still incredibly sick and Finn is terrified that during the night Rory's slow progress could take a sudden unexpected turn, just as it had yesterday. He gives Rory a long hug and stands by the door staring at him for far longer then what would be considered normal.

"If he gets upset, no matter how late it is, you have to promise that you'll call me so I can at least talk to him," Finn whispers to his mom before finally leaving.

"I promise I will. I think he'll be fine though. Rory's been totally calm since his fever decreased. I think this is his true personality," she whispers back.

On many levels that is the case, but Finn is now wondering if the self-contained Rory they all know is just an act and that the emotional, needy boy the delirium brought on is the real Rory.

* * *

><p>His dad and Finn are both extremely quiet on the drive back. Kurt figures that his dad is most likely due to tension about the election results that will be revealed soon and Finn out of sulkiness for being forced to leave Rory. However when his dad finally does speak up it becomes clear that the election could not be further from his dad's mind right now.<p>

"The Pierce's finally showed up," he says bruskly. "I ran into them downstairs in the lobby an hour ago. They're …nice people, but not very responsible and are just kind of, well, off. Anyway I sent them away since it's hard enough getting four people in to see him, let alone six. They seemed relieved, quite frankly."

"Oh really?" asked Kurt mildly, knowing that his dad wants to say more yet is doing his best to compose himself. He seems to be choosing his words carefully before speaking again.

"Given Rory's high medical needs I don't think they are the best guardian's for him if he remains in America."

"Are you suggesting..?"

"Yes Finn, I'm saying that given the emotional investment we already have in this kid, we might as well see it through to the end. What do you think?"

"I want to keep him!"

Burt and Kurt both burst out laughing at his choice of words. That probably sums up Finn's feelings towards Rory quite accurately.

"Ultimately it will be up to the Flanagan's. They may want him to come home early after this and I certainly wouldn't blame them if they did. And even if they don't Rory might want to stay with his current host family."

At these words Kurt and Finn grin wildly at each other. What his dad doesn't know is how much Rory absolutely worships Finn or how stubbornly determined he is to remain in America for the rest of the year. Rory is basically theirs.

_To be continued…_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks again for all the lovely support. It truly means the world to me! This story actually started off as just a one-shot of the boys helping Rory get his medication, but it quickly took on a mind of its own and snowballed from there. Currently I have plans to take this story through sectionals, but beyond that I'm on the fence over whether or not I should continue. This is something I'm really enjoying writing, but I'm afraid that extending it too long could hurt the original intent of the story. I would love to hear your guy's thoughts on that and any concrete ideas of what could be done with it if I were to continue. Either way there's definitely going to be at least three more chapters. -Alix<strong>_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Longest chapter yet! Thank you all for continuing to read and review. :)**_

* * *

><p>That night had been a clean sweep of victory for the Hummel's. Not only did Burt win the congressional seat, but Kurt also won the role of student body president thanks to Rachel's ploy. Apparently a lot of people were reluctant to vote for Brittney after hearing what she did to "the freshmen", so Kurt ended up winning out of default and sympathy. It should have been a joyous occasion, but under the circumstances both wins were bittersweet. None of them really felt in the mood for celebrating; they were all too tired and emotionally drained.<p>

Finn had expected that he wouldn't be able to sleep at all that night out of anxiety over being away from Rory, but the exhaustion is a more powerful force then he had expected. Almost as soon as his head hits the pillow he's out like a light. When he finally does wake up the next morning he immediately checks his phone to see if he missed any calls from his mom and is somewhat disappointed to see none. Part of him wants Rory to need him.

He calls his mom's cell phone anxious for an update.

"Hi Finn, I've been waiting for your call."

"How's Rory? Is he doing okay?" he asks right away, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Everything's fine. Rory had a fairly good night. He's still quite sick and is not feeling great, but is handling it well. Can I just say that he is just the sweetest, sweetest boy and his accent is so charming. I can see why you are both so fond of him."

"He's an easy person to like," Finn agrees. He's so relieved that everything went okay.

"Speaking of which, he just adores you honey. The same goes for Kurt, but with you there's an extra level of almost manic hero worship going on when he talks about you. I'm surprised I haven't met him yet from him following you home one day after school."

Finn immediately feels guilty, knowing that just a few days ago that Rory randomly following him home without an invitation is not something he would have tolerated.

"How would you feel about just the two of you staying with him today? He's being moved to a regular room today, so his parents are okay with it. Since Burt won the election he's going to be busy with press all day and I am beyond exhausted from lack of sleep."

"Didn't you sleep in the hospital room? I thought you said he had a good night?"

"Yes, but Rory is sleeping like a newborn right now. He's on a pattern where he's out for an hour and then wakes up for ten minutes, before falling back asleep. That alone wouldn't be a problem, but a quarter through the night me and the other nurses realized that he doesn't want to disturb us so he won't wake me up or press the call button if he needs anything. So he's left without access to water, the bathroom, pain medicine or anything else he might need. After waking up to the poor boy in extreme pain, but unwilling to wake me for help I decided that it would be better to just stay up."

That sounded just like Rory. They've got to get him to realize that his needs do matter, because his refusal to speak up literally almost killed him. Meanwhile his insistence on being low maintenance is having the opposite effect of making him incredibly high maintenance since it's forcing them to be extra vigilant to compensate.

Finn quickly eats breakfast before dragging Kurt to their shared car so they can get back to Rory as quickly as possible. He can't help but smile at how little effort his step brother put into his outfit today. He's just in a basic tee-shirt and jeans, both designer, but still this break from the norm shows just how much Kurt has come to care about Rory if fashion has taken a backseat.

When they get to the pediatric floor Finn quickens his pace ahead of Kurt so that he can guarantee that he gets into Rory's room first. Kurt might just hate him for this, but to be fair he was friends with Rory first.

When he gets to the room he hovers by the door for a second, taking in the sweet scene in front of him as his mom tries to get Rory's interest in the unappetizing hospital provided breakfast

"Come on honey, just a few bites of oatmeal. It's not going to hurt you."

Rory presses his lips tightly together, silently and stubbornly refusing to comply. His mom sighs and glances up at the door, noticing his arrival.

"Finn's here. I bet you'll eat for Finn."

Rory's eyes immediately brighten and he grins up at him. "Finn Hudson!"

"Rory Flanagan!" he replies, resisting the urge to pounce on him in a massive hug. Instead he pats his shoulder and sits down next to him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not fantastic, but okay." Finn reaches out to feel his forehead. He's still warm.

"What's this about you not eating? You're almost approaching the four day mark without food."

Rory looks down and mutters something incomprehensible. Reading between the lines Finn is certain that the refusal is coming from nausea or stomach pains, but is hoping he can get Rory to actually say it. Self advocacy is the goal of today.

"What was that?"

When Rory doesn't answer Finn decides to try a different approach.

"You're not going to make me hold you down and feed you like a baby are you? Cause if you can't give me a reason for not eating I will."

Rory looks stricken. "You wouldn't!"

"Do you want to test me?" asks Finn playfully.

Immediately Rory grabs the spoon in front of him and beings shoving large clumps of the stuff into his mouth. There's an urgency to his actions that suggests he doesn't know Finn is kidding.

"Okay, okay Rory I think that's enough. We want it to stay down." Finn grabs the bowl and places it out of reach before Rory makes himself sick. So much for that.

His mom smiles warmly at their antics, under the impression that this is nothing more than teenage horseplay.

"Kurt's over by the window giving me the evil eye, so I'm going to head out now before he tries anything. Promise you'll call me or Burt right away if anything at all comes up, no matter how minor."

Finn agrees and she gives them both a kiss on the cheek. "Rory will you do me a favor and make sure these two keep their word and don't try to handle anything on their own?"

"I will ma'am," says Rory politely, turning his natural charm up a few notches.

As soon as she leaves Kurt comes bounding into the room. "Good morning Rory! Guess what? The nurse just told me you're well enough that they're moving you to a regular room in about five minutes."

"Happy days. I'll be glad to rid of all these monitors. It's uncomfortable and the constant beeping noise is a pain in the rear."

"And you'll be glad to be rid of that hospital gown too, right?"

"Exactly!" Rory grins broadly at them. He seems to be in remarkably good spirits today. Yet instead of putting Finn's mind at ease, this has the opposite effect. It worries Finn that he might just be putting on an act in order to cover up something that's bothering him.

"Hey Kurt, I can grab things now. Look!" Rory reaches out and picks up a cup from his bedside table and drinks from it before setting it back down. His hand is shaking slightly, but he nevertheless looks pleased with himself.

"That's awesome Rory! See, I told you that you would get better with sleep."

"At least you were right that time." Kurt frowns at this, but Finn's not sure why or what Rory is referencing. He hates being out of the loop.

In prep for the move Finn and Kurt began taking down all of the decorations prompting Rory to finally comment on them. Up until now he's been remarkably silent about them even though he's been eyeing the four-leaf clover streamers with suspicion ever since first coming back into his right senses.

"Where did those come from? Did you get them? I hope you don't mind me saying that they're a wee bit odd."

"No actually, uh, Blaine brought them over early yesterday morning. They're a bit over the top, but his heart was in the right place." Kurt's omission of the other two Glee club member's names seems very purposeful, since Blaine happens to be the only one that Rory knows is aware of his hospitalization. Finn understands his logic here, but after the fallout they've already had over the subject of honesty he just can't bring himself to lie to Rory again.

"Hey Rory?" he begins hesitantly. "It wasn't just Blaine; all of the members of Glee club got them for you, as well as a bunch of presents you can unwrap later. Um, our plan to spread different rumors kind of backfired. It created such confusion about what happened that Mr. Schuster felt the need to talk about it with the group during Wednesday's rehearsal."

"Oh, well thanks for telling me." Rory seems to be handling this really well. Too well—it's making him nervous.

"Doing okay Rors?"

"I'm not going to freak out again if that's what you mean," huffs Rory before continuing on more quietly. "I've been thinking about this for awhile now and with the suspension and everyone seeing what happened in the gym, them putting two and two together was inevitable. Did Mr. Schue tell them about my condition?"

"I'm honestly not sure."

"He probably did. He's wanted to tell you guys from day one, but I kept begging him not to."

"Mr. Schue knows you have hemophilia?" That information takes him off guard since Finn has been assuming that Rory's kept it a secret from everyone, not just his friends (aka: him).

"Of course, all the teachers do. That's why I always sit on the bleachers during gym class and why he hasn't been letting me go to booty camp even though I _clearly _need it. I think my clumsiness while dancing combined with the bleeding disorder kind of scares him. The same goes for the rest of you not knowing about it. He's been saying that if they don't know to 'be careful with me' an incident might arise. I guess he was right." The hurt in his voice when Rory quotes the teachers exact words is palatable.

Finn certainly feels bad for Rory, he can't imagine what it must be like to always be treated as different because of a condition he's born with, but he also finds himself agreeing more with the teacher on this one. They _do_ need to be careful with him and if they had known the dodgeball game would have never happened, at least not with Rory present. Rory was putting himself at risk by keeping this a secret. Rory's been doing a lot of that lately. Finn swears to himself that for the rest of the school year he will do everything possible to minimize these risks.

* * *

><p>Once Rory is transferred to a regular hospital room, this time with Donald Duck as the featured character on the wall, Rory begs them to help him change out of the hospital gown and into one of Finn's pajamas that Burt had brought over two days ago. Finn is happy to comply, especially since this is the first time all day that Rory has vocalized his needs. It might not be medically relevant, but he's pleased with any baby steps towards that goal. While Finn helps Rory into a pair of his flannel pajama bottoms and an old Batman tee that Rory seems to have take quite a shine to, Kurt conspicuously chooses that time to step into the bathroom and doesn't emerge until Rory is fully changed.<p>

"Rory, my friend Mercedes keeps texting me asking if you're up for visitors today. I'm not sure what to tell her. She so badly wants to apologize to you for what happened since the guilt is just killing her. Yet I don't want to force her on you or scare you with one of your attacker's presence. What do you think?"

"Why would they scare me? It's not like any of them meant to hurt me. Okay actually, Santana scares me quite a bit, but em, none of the others do. I wouldn't mind visitors."

"She scares us all, don't worry. I'll let Mercedes know you gave the green light, just as long as Santana doesn't come."

"What about Brittney?" asks Rory eagerly. "I'd love for her to visit me. Could you ask if Brittney could come along?"

"I can do that. Considering it's a Friday and she's been suspended from school I'm sure Britt will be free for a visit…Yeah, she just texted me back that they'll be over soon. Finn will you be nice this time?"

"I will." He's still mad at them, but he's certainly not going to give it to them in front of Rory, especially when he seems so happy at the idea of their visit. And in hindsight Finn does feel bad about the way he treated Mercedes, a lot of what he said was true, but he did take it too far in his stress.

"They're still suspended? I thought my parents said they would talk to the school about going easier on them?" asks Rory, looking confused.

"That was before you got so sick and they heard the whole story of what happened, not the Rory fabricated story. According to my dad they were pretty furious about it, however all criminal charges have been dropped so you don't need to worry about that."

"It's just a ten day suspension anyway, so don't worry about it," adds Finn. "They're still allowed to compete in sectionals. Unfortunately."

That at least gets a smile out of Rory, which increases even more when the girls show up. Rory seems to really like his host sister a lot; though whether she deserves it is another story. The same goes for the way Rory wholeheartedly accepts Mercedes profuse apologies without question. Seeing Rory cuddling up to the girls in his hospital bed when they were the ones who put him in this position in the first place really bugs him.

While they are fawning over him Rory actually coughs a few times, which initially causes Finn to worry that he might be coming down with a cold on top of everything else. Then he realizes just how fake it sounds and the way Rory's looking at Brittney as he does so. He's milking it! This is certainly a side of Rory he's never seen before.

"My poor sick Rory leprechaun. We can play doctor and I can make it all better," says Brittney coyly moving into his lap.

Rory's eyes widen. "Yes please." Brittney smiles widely and begins to undo the top buttons of her shirt. Rory is practically salivating with excitement.

"Alright that's enough of that. This is a hospital Brittney, keep your clothes on," says Finn, alarmed by this turn of events.

"It would make me feel better," whispers Rory, appearing very aroused. Oh _god_! This is the last thing he expected to deal with today. Unsure how to handle this he glances over at Kurt and finds him doubled over with laughter. Not helpful.

"I think it's time for you guys to go. Rory needs to rest and this is getting a little too exciting," announces Finn firmly.

Rory immediately starts to pout, but perks up when Brittney gives him a long hug. He buries his head into her shoulder and appears to be breathing in her scent, grinning dopily. Finn had no idea that he was still so smitten with Brittney. Now he's worried that it might interfere with their plans to take over as Rory's host family.

Kurt's still giggling as they see the girls off. "Well on the plus side we finally got him to self advocate. Even if it was for horny teenage needs," he whispers to him while they're still in the hallway out of Rory's earshot.

Finn is not amused. Granted Rory is only a year younger than he was when he supposedly got Quinn pregnant in the hot tub, but he doesn't want to think of his "little brother" in that way. In his mind he's just sweet, innocent Rory— a kid who cries for his 'Mammy', wears cartoon pajamas and loves Toy Story.

* * *

><p>"Rory buddy, you look exhausted," says Finn once the girls have left. "This is the longest you've been awake since you first came down with the infection. I'd like you to take a nap."<p>

"I'm not tired," replies Rory stubbornly, even though it's extremely obvious that couldn't be further from the truth. Right now Rory's picture could be next to the definition of exhaustion in the dictionary. Yet Kurt purposefully avoids arguing with him on this one afraid that it might trigger more memories, if that is what's happening, of when Rory was in critical condition. Some things are better left buried.

Instead they look through the backpack of supplies that Brittney had brought over. Other than a sweet crayon drawing of Brittney, Rory and Lord Tubbington that Rory just about swoons over, all of its contents are surprisingly normal: a pair of Rory's own pajamas, sweatpants, change of underwear and toothbrush. Kurt suspects that someone, most likely Mercedes, must have helped her put it together.

"You've been in the same pair of underwear since we came to the hospital. Am I right in assuming you'd like to change it out?" asks Finn.

"God yes."

"Here, I'll step out of the room while Finn helps you." Kurt realizes that Rory will not be able to do that without a significant amount of help and, despite Rory's politeness, there's no way this sensitive task won't cause discomfort in his presence.

"Why? I don't mean to be rude, but I don't understand your aversion to this type of thing." Rory must be even more tired than he's letting on.

"Isn't it obvious? Because, you know, I'm gay and I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"You're gay?"

Wow. Kurt is honestly blown away by that one. It never once occurred to him that a member of Glee club, or anyone at their school, wouldn't know.

"Are you serious?" Finn laughs, recovering quicker. "Rory you are too cute! How could you not have noticed all the times he's walked around with Blaine holding hands? Also I love my stepbrother but he's not exactly someone you need a powerful gaydar to detect."

"What's a gaydar? Do I need to buy one? Also is Blaine gay too?" There's no malice behind his questions, just genuine curiosity.

"I sure hope so, since we've been dating and kissing for almost a year now. It would be quite awkward if he wasn't. Also gaydar is a person's ability to tell if someone is gay or not. Apparently yours is non-existent."

At this Rory blushes furiously. It's endearing that in this awkward situation _he's_ the one who's the most embarrassed.

"Okay well now that you know, does it make you uncomfortable?"

"Should it?"

"I really hope not. I'm happily with Blaine and have come to see you as a little brother just like Finn, minus the little part. I don't see you in any romantic or sexual way."

"Oh, okay then. It's not a problem. Can I change out of these four day old briefs now?"

Just like that it became a non-issue. Kurt seriously wants to squeeze Rory in a hug to end all hugs in gratitude. Now its Finn's turn to look embarrassed at how much better Rory is handling it than he had.

Once the underwear issue has been taken care of Finn pauses, appearing deep in thought.

"Rory since that we're on the subject of sexuality, I think you should know that Brittney and Santana are a couple."

Whoa, did Finn seriously just say that? He knows that Finn is still mad at them, but outing a still closeted couple was completely uncalled for.

"Finn, what the hell? You can't just out people like that!"

"It's not fair that Brittney is still stringing him along even though she's taken. I don't want him to get hurt. Plus Rory's crush is the primary reason Santana targeted him. He has the right to know."

He hadn't thought of that. It could actually be argued that Rory's crush is what put him in this position in the first place. Santana probably wouldn't have attacked him the way she did if it weren't for that.

"Brittney's taken?" asks Rory sadly, interrupting their argument.

"I'm afraid so buddy."

"Oh. I've been wondering why Santana hates me so much. That would actually explain a lot."

Poor kid. He really does seem crestfallen by this news. Kurt can certainly understand what it feels like to be in love with someone who is taken and/or plays for the wrong team.

"I think I'll take that nap now." Rory buries his face into the pillow and pulls a blanket over his head, clearly wanting to be alone in his teenage angst.

* * *

><p>Rory's jolted back awake with a start and is left breathing heavily, desperately trying to pull away from the clutches of his dream.<p>

"Rory sweetheart, are you okay?" Both Finn and Kurt are instantly at his side, looking at him with worried, compassionate eyes. Just their presence alone is soothing. Though he'd never admit it he secretly wishes one of them would hold him again, just like before.

"I'm fine. I just got startled awake by a noise out in the hallway, probably a crying baby. Could we watch a movie?"

He needs something to distract himself from the random flashes of memories that keep hitting him at totally unexpected times. Every time it does it's absolutely terrifying. Worst of all are the dreams that are half memory and half deranged nightmares. He doesn't want to sleep anymore because of them.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asks Kurt gently "You look really pale."

_-Kurt's half hugging him, half restraining him down as he struggles and yells for his parents, that he wants to go home and for the pain to go away. This is all in Gaelic, thank god, so for all they know he could be yelling masculine things. _

"I'm fine! Could we watch "Once"? I saw that you guys have it in your collection. I love that movie."

Instead of answering Finn reaches over and feels his forehead, frowning as he does so. "If anything's bothering you, you'll tell us right? This is really important Rory. You can't keep medical problems a secret. I don't want you ending up so sick again because of it."

"Nothing's wrong. I just got startled, I swear. If anything does come up you'll be the first to know. Can we please watch the movie now?"

_-He's crying uncontrollably, hysterically, pathetically in Finn's arms as the older boy rocks him and sing's "Fix You" to him in a choked voice. The exact lyrics are hard to make out over his own blubbering, but even in the foggy memory Rory can recognize the song from one of his favorite bands. _

He wonders why neither of them has brought these occurrences up to him yet, even though he can see it in their eyes. Its pity, that's what they're feeling when they look at him and that's why they haven't brought it up. Should he be the one to do it? He doesn't want to. He doesn't want to discuss any of the things he's remembering with anyone.

Yet as embarrassing as they are, those memories with Kurt and Finn don't bother him so much. At least with his friends he feels safe. The worst ones are the vivid recollections of agonizing, all over pain that is so severe he can't move or call out for help. Or the ones where he's completely alone as strangers hold him down as doctors do painful and unknown medical procedures on him. Rory generally considers himself to be an old pro when it comes to medical discomfort; for him needles are just a regular part of life and he's always laughed at people who are afraid of them, but what happened in the PICU is completely different. He's alone and in pain and no one is even bothering to explain to him what's happening. Strange hands are just touching him and prodding him in sensitive areas without explanation. That's the part of them that are traumatizing to remember, not the procedures themselves.

* * *

><p>Later in the day Burt the America personified politician, comes by to talk to him. Rory makes note to start paying more attention during his U.S. civics class so he can figure out just how powerful this already intimidating guy really is.<p>

"Now that you're on the road to recovery we need to decide what to do with you when you get out of here. I'm going to call your parents and put them on speaker so we can all discuss this."

Talking to his family brings up so many mixed feelings. He misses them dearly, especially now when he doesn't feel good and wants nothing more than to have his parents looking after him. Yet at the same time he so badly wants to stay in America and prove that he's not a little kid anymore. He had spoken to them multiple times last night while he was with Carol, but it was different then because he couldn't remember their earlier conversations. Now he can. He can recall how the previous night over the phone they'd prayed for him, begged him to be strong, told him over and over how much they loved him and all but said their goodbyes. That might just be the scariest memory of all.

Once on the phone his Ma wastes no time in expressing her views, the one he's been afraid of.

"I'd like you to come home Rory-bear. I can't stand the thought of you sick and away from me."

"We do need to keep in mind that Rory isn't going to be in any condition to get on a plane anytime soon and certainly not by himself," say Burt, surprisingly coming to his rescue. "As it is we have three options. You guys can fly over and look after him until he's well enough to fly back with you or return to his host family. Or he could immediately go back to the Pierce's, which I don't recommend, but we've already discussed that in full. The third option would be for Rory to come stay with us. All four of us have grown very attached to him and would love to have him."

Rory's breath hitches in his chest at that final suggestion. Getting to live with Finn and Kurt full time is beyond his wildest dreams. That would just be… incredible! He immediately knows that he'll say or do anything to make that happen.

"Mammy I know your instinct is for me to come home after this, but I really don't want to. I worked so hard to get into this program and going home now would be such a wasted opportunity." He pauses, deciding to play the pity card and purposely hitches his voice up higher. "I would really hate for my hemophilia to take this away from me, it's already taken away so much. I don't want it to win. Going home would feel like giving up."

That seemed to do the trick perfectly. He can practically hear his Ma melting over the phone and the three guys in the room look slightly choked up by his words, Finn in particular. Just to seal the deal he points out how incredibly expensive it would be for his parents to fly to America, stay in a hotel until he's well and then fly back with him. At this his Ma reluctantly agrees to allow him to stay for the time being.

"All right then, now that that's settled we need to decide where you're going to stay. I know I have my own opinion here, but I'd like to know what you think. Where would you like to stay darling?"

Again Rory pauses. What if his Ma's opinion is for him to go back to his first placement? That wouldn't be a bad thing in its own right, but now that it's been suggested he wants to stay with Finn and Kurt so badly. And just how committed are their parents to letting him live with them? He's terrified that they might just be offering to be nice, but don't really mean it. He'll have to frame his response carefully to make it a guarantee.

"Em, I don't know. I definitely want to finish my year in America, but I'm not sure if I'll feel _safe_ at the Pierce house…"

"That settles it then," cuts in Burt. "There's no way I'm allowing you to go to a place where you're not safe after everything you've been through already. You're staying with us. Ciara are you in agreement?"

"Absolutely." Burt then steps out with the phone to further discuss things his mom and start the long paperwork process with the study abroad agency and social workers.

"Rory's coming to stay with us!" Finn practically squeals before pulling him into a tight hug. "Now you practically are our brother. I'm sorry you feel unsafe with the Pierce's, but I'm so glad you told us."

Kurt doesn't say anything. He's just staring at Rory looking thoughtful.

"Hey Finn, could you go get us something to eat? I'm starving. No, it's your turn. After everything you put me through yesterday you owe me."

Finn moans and grumbles at this, but finally agrees. Once the two of them are alone, Kurt sits down at the edge of his bed and addresses him seriously.

"Rory, I've got to call bullshit on what you just said. You love Brittney and know darn well that they're never going to hurt you again, accidentally or otherwise. You just want to stay with us and are using pity to manipulate them into agreeing to it, right?"

Getting caught in the lie feels like a sudden blow to the stomach. He stares up at Kurt petrified of what he might do.

"Sweetie its okay, I'm not going to get you in trouble. I'm delighted that you're going to stay with us. But am I right? Also was this partially motivated by you finding out you don't have a chance with Brittney?"

"Don't tell Finn," he says at last, completely mortified. Finn can't know about this. He can't! It's bad enough that Kurt knows, but with Finn it would be ten times worse. He can't stand the thought of Finn Hudson being disappointed in him.

Kurt grins mischievously and seems to be holding back a laugh. Oh god, is he laughing _at_ him? He must seem so pathetic right now

"I won't tell him. I think he'd love it though. You know the funny thing is Finn and I have been talking all day about ways to get you to stand up for yourself more and tell us when something is wrong. Yet in your own manipulative little way you seem to be quite skilled at getting your needs met."

* * *

><p>A few hours later the three of them are laughing and goofing off with each other when Rory feels some unexpected dampness on his chest. He doesn't think much of it until—<p>

"OH MY GOD! Rory, your chest!" Both Finn and Kurt are staring at him in complete horror. He looks down and sees two bright bloodstains on his pajama top from blood that must have oozed through surgical wounds. It's fairly minor and nothing he hasn't dealt with before, but based on his friends reactions this might as well be a catastrophe. Rory's more distressed about staining Finn's awesome Batman shirt than anything else.

Both Kurt and Finn start screaming for help at the same time. Kurt dashes out of the room to find someone while Finn begins slamming on the emergency call button as hard as he can. Rory reaches out and grabs his arm, hoping to calm him.

"Finn it's okay. As far as bleeds go this really isn't that bad. I'm going to be fine."

"You tore your stitches!" Finn looks absolutely hysterical. Lovely. Is this what he's going to have to deal with from his friends every time he gets a bleed from now on?

"No I didn't. Trust me; if I did we'd know it."

He's relieved when Kurt comes bursting back into the room with a doctor in tow, since at least she's able to bring some amount of sanity back to the situation. She examines his stitches that are still very much intact and that all that needs to be done is put pressure on the wounds and give him another injection of factor.

"Is this our fault?" asks Finn anxiously, still not fully calm. "We were cracking jokes and he was laughing. Did that open up the wound or something?"

"No, this isn't your fault, its okay guys," says the doctor kindly to the distraught brothers. "With hemophilia sometimes spontaneous bleeding just happens. You didn't do anything to cause it."

"It does? He can_ just_ start bleeding like this for no reason at all? Like everything's fine and then out of nowhere he just starts spurting blood?" Rory doesn't like the way they are both looking at him now. Like he's a ticking time bomb.

"It's rarely that dramatic, but yes that can happen. Except for after surgery those usually only take the form of muscle bleeds, joint bleeds and nosebleeds."

Rory closes his eyes in horror at that final listing. After what happened in the gym the last thing he wants his friends to know is that it could easily happen again and without cause. Rory can't even bring himself to open his eyes and see their reactions. He can already picture the looks of shock and fear on their faces.

Now he's worried that they'll start having second thoughts about having him come live with them. Now that they know that they might not want him.

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11

_**First of all I am very sorry for the unscheduled hiatus from my weekly postings. I've just been incredibly busy. Grad school is insane; I've been juggling teaching undergrad classes, taking classes, conducting my research, seeing clients in a clinical setting and studying for licensure exams. It's madness! Luckily a large portion of the next chapter is already written so it shouldn't be a problem getting it posted on time.**_

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><p>Spontaneous bleeding. Ever since the doctor said it, that's one phrase Finn can't get out of his mind.<p>

That evening Burt takes the night shift with Rory and the rest of them are sent home. Finn is once again exhausted, but given the latest turn of events he decides to instead stay up late researching hemophilia on the internet. He doesn't know a whole lot and this is the first time he's had a chance to look it up since finding out that Rory has it.

What he finds terrifies him.

Most of the sites aim in reassurance and normalizing the condition, but all Finn can do it focus on the negative. Like that before the injections that Rory receives came about the average life expectancy was only eleven years old. Or all the stories of kids in the 80's and early 90's who contracted AIDS as a result of the lifesaving injections. Or that Rory is at significant risk of internal bleeding. Or that the joint bleeds that he has already seen can be permanently disabling and that they and muscle bleeds can happen frequently in severe hemophilia. Didn't Rory say that he was borderline severe?

Being Rory's protector is going to be harder than he thought.

He also watches a lot of YouTube videos of people injecting themselves with the factor and accessing their portacath. He ends up watching these videos over and over again because on the first few viewings he has to look away every time a needle comes out. But after multiple views he's able to watch all of it since he wants to learn how to do it so he can help keep Rory alive when he comes home. Still he's worried about his ability to do so, since watching a video and actually injecting someone you care about are two completely different things.

At close to midnight he's interrupted from his late night internet search when his phone rings. Seeing his screen display says that it's Burt, Finn immediately goes into a panic imagining all of the worst case scenarios that would warrant a late night call.

"What happened?" he demands upon answering the phone.

"Finn buddy, I hope I didn't wake you."

" What's going on? Is Rory okay?"

"Everything's fine. Sorry, I should have opened with that. I just wanted your advice as a teenager and as Rory's friend."

Finn lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Yet he can still feel his heart racing as a residual effect.

"What is it?"

"I think Rory is a bit afraid of me. I can't get him to engage me in conversation beyond one word answers. At first I thought he was just shy, but when I talked to Carol she said that he was friendly with her last night and he's chatty with his nurse. Also when things got heated between me and a doctor who wanted to substantially decrease his pain medication he was practically cowering in bed."

"Okay, first of all did you win the argument?"

"Yes, there's absolutely no reason the kid should have to be in pain."

"Good, thank you Burt. I really appreciate how you've been looking out for him as if he's me or Kurt. Um, regarding your question I have noticed that he's nervous around you. I mean, you are an intimidating guy, so combined with you now being a congressman I can see where he's coming from. He's a bit of a fanboy for all things America."

Burt laughs at that last bit. "That's good to know. I guess this is my first taste of how people are going to react to me now that I'm in congress. Any ideas of how I can make him more comfortable?"

"I don't know, male bonding? Like you did with me?"

"See I tried that, but watching a football game just put him to sleep. He's not interested in any of the things Kurt likes either. I'm kind of at a loss here." Finn cracks up at the image of Burt trying to talk to Rory about fashion or show tunes.

"Yeah, I would imagine so. He likes NASCAR and soccer; you could try watching those with him. Cartoons also seem to be a big hit. He's also really into big band music so you can try talking to him about that. When I first met him he had Elvis hair and he's always wearing a wallet chain."

His step-dad never gets a chance to respond because just then they are interrupted by a deep scream coming from Burt's end.

"Finn, it's Rory, I have to go. I'll call you back." The line goes dead and Finn is left a nervous wreak wondering what is going on.

A few minutes later his phone rings again, Finn picks it up on the first ring.

"Burt, what's going on?"

"Hi Finn Hudson," replies the sweet Irish voice of Rory. He sounds tired, but otherwise okay.

"Rory buddy, hi. Are you okay Rors? What happened?"

"I'm fine. Embarrassed, but fine. I just had a nightmare. I'm sorry for scaring you guys."

Finn pauses, not sure if he should believe him. His history of lying about medical issues says no, but Rory had woken up in a panic several times during the day which would support the nightmare claim.

"Are you sure you're okay? There's nothing else going on? It must have been a hell of a dream to make you scream."

"I'm fine," he repeats much more firmly this time.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Finn sighs. He wishes Rory wasn't so darn stubborn! "Okay Rors, well try to get some sleep. I'll see you first thing in the morning. Can I talk to Burt?"

"Yeah, goodnight Finn. Thanks for everything."

"Can you get a doctor in to examine him?" Finn asks as soon as the phone is passed. "I'm worried that something else is going on and we can't trust him to tell us if it is. You should check to make sure he isn't bleeding from anywhere strange."

"I was just thinking the same thing. I'll get on that now and text you when I know anything."

That leads to another ten minutes of nerve-racking before Burt finally texts him back: "Everything looks good. Temperature's still 101 and no new issues or bleeding detected."

Though reassured, this still doesn't stop the looming feeling of anxiety that is overtaking him. Finn isn't able to sleep that night.

* * *

><p>Since it's now the weekend and word has spread that Rory is doing better he gets a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. It's great to see the number of people that care about him, but it's also problematic since Rory has little energy and the visits always completely wipe him out. Yet he is constantly fighting sleep despite his obvious need for it. Even more worrisome is that when Finn does convince Rory to take a nap he ends up waking up unexpectedly screaming or in a general panic. All of them are becoming extremely concerned by this, but Rory refuses to talk about it.<p>

Because of this issue Finn is very strict about limiting the amount of time any 'non-family members' (all four of the Hudson-Hummel's are now listed as family member in hospital records) can stay so that Rory doesn't become overly tired. Conversely if anyone stops by when he's napping or in obvious need of one, Finn turns them away no exceptions.

One of these times happens midday when Rory is constantly almost nodding off mid-conversation, but is stubbornly refusing to actually lay down and sleep. Remembering what Burt said about football putting him to sleep, Finn finds a college game on TV at random under the pretext that it's one he really wants to watch. It's just looking like Rory is finally going to drop when there's a knock on the door.

Finn instantly jumps up to intercept the visitors before whoever it is has a chance to come in.

"If Finn's stepping out can we change the channel?" asks Rory sleepily, just as Finn's hand is on the door.

"No, I want to find out what happens," says Kurt. He makes eye contact with Finn with a slight smile on his face, indicating that they're both on the same wavelength in this matter. It's great to have an ally on Team Rory-protection. The last thing he hears before closing the door behind him is a frustrated "seriously?" from Rory.

Once out he's greeted by Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsberry, who immediately pull him into a hug.

"Finn, hello! We didn't realize you'd still be here. I've missed you this week. How are you doing?" says the choir teacher.

"It's been a stressful week, but I'm okay."

"Yeah, it's been a rough week for all of us. Most importantly, how is Rory?"

"He's doing a lot better." During this whole exchange Finn stands protectively in front of the door so that neither of them have a chance to enter.

"That's great news! We've all been so worried about him. Can we come in and say hi?"

"I'm sorry, but you can't. This isn't a good time for visitors. I'm trying to get him down for a nap."

Emma raises an eyebrow at this. "You make it sound like he's your toddler or something."

"I guess in some ways that's true," says Finn with a slight smile. "Rory's needs me to look out for him."

Both teachers exchange a pointed look at that comment.

"Finn buddy, that's great," begins Mr. Schue. "From what I hear you've been an absolute rock star in that regard. However having known about this issue longer I've got to tell you that Rory values self sufficiency quite a bit. His greatest fear is being seen as an invalid. He's not going to like it if you baby him."

Not liking the way this conversation is going Finn immediately becomes defensive.

"But Rory needs to be protected and he _needs_ to be taken care of. Rory hasn't been doing a great job of that on his own. He's so fragile."

"No, he's not Finn. You can't think of him in that way."

"What am I supposed to think after he almost dies from being hit by a few dodgeballs? And I know you think so too, otherwise you would have let him come to booty camp. Don't be a hypocrite."

"Look Finn, I get where you're coming from," says Ms. Pillsberry in an agonizingly calm voice. "This has been some seriously scary stuff you've had to deal with. All we're saying is that Rory is almost fifteen Make sure you treat him as such and not as if he's five. You can't treat him any differently just because you know he has a disability. He'll resent you if you do."

"Taking care of him when he's sick is not treating him like he's five!"

"Okay, well let me ask you this: do you baby Artie or treat him like he's made of glass just because he's a in a wheelchair?"

"No, but that's different. Artie has an impairment, but his life isn't in any danger. Rory's is, so it's not a fair comparison."

"Is his life going to be in danger if he doesn't take a nap when you tell him to?" Now she's just being condescending. There's no way she would be cracking jokes about this if she had seen just how bad off Rory was two days ago.

"Possibly. He's still sick from the blood infection and his kidneys are still having issues _and_ he could start bleeding for no reason at any time. If Rory doesn't get enough rest it could send his recovery in the wrong direction. This is not a joke!"

There's a long silence.

"All right you two, I think that's enough," cuts in Mr. Schue. "Like I said, this has been a stressful week for all of us. Emma honey, let's just let this go for now. If necessary we can continue this conversation with Finn once things return to normal."

She agrees and Finn exchanges tense hugs with the teachers before they head out. Once they're gone Finn slowly re-enters the room and is delighted to find Rory fast asleep.

"I'm amazed it didn't put me to sleep as well," Kurt whispers. "Who was it that stopped by?"

"Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsberry."

"You were out for longer than I expected. What were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing important."

* * *

><p>The rest of the weekend passes without incident or really anything remotely interesting or exciting happening. By then end of Sunday Rory is thoroughly bored of the hospital. It's the same thing over and over again: They watch a lot of movies, tv shows and extremely dull American sports programs. Finn and Kurt are constantly hounding him about getting more sleep and eating more. Almost every member of Glee club comes to visit him, which he always enjoys but they never seem to stay much longer than the exchange of "I'm so glad you're okay Rory". He wishes they would stay longer, even if he is slightly embarrassed to be seen in such a vulnerable state.<p>

By far the best thing to come out of this is the growing realization of just how devoted Finn and Kurt are to him as friends. He's been in the hospital for six days now and they still haven't left him. When this first started Rory was convinced that they were just staying with him because they felt obligated or out of pity. But they still haven't left. Even when he was a complete basket-case in the PICU they not only didn't turn the other tail and run, they later offered to take him into their home for the rest of the school year. Even after they learned the extent of his medical issues and that this wasn't just going to be a onetime thing they stayed.

If Finn and Kurt could be faulted on anything it would be being too involved and caring too much. As Rory's strength returns and he's able to stay awake for longer periods, he becomes more and more aware of just how much his friends are babying him. Finn in particular is really starting to drive him crazy with the way he speaks to him, insists on doing things for him he's now fully capable of doing on his own and his frequent 'medical examinations'. Rory is becoming increasingly concerned that they see him as less of a peer and more of a little kid that needs protecting. He would really like to say something to them about it, but is afraid of offending them or ruining the dynamics of their friendship. So instead he's trying to counter these effects by being extra mature. Unfortunately the reoccurring nightmares/memories he keeps having isn't helping his case. He had hoped that they would go away with time, but if anything it's been getting worse

That night when Burt, who still kind of scares him, announces that Finn and Kurt are going back to school tomorrow, Rory is actually relieved. He loves his friends dearly and appreciates everything they've done for him this week, but badly needs a break from their constant hovering. What with that and all of Glee Club finding out his well kept secret, Rory feels as though he has lost all of shreds of privacy.

The next day they both stop by early in the morning before heading to school to check on him and confirm that Rory isn't't going to have a panic attack at their absence (he seriously hates himself for having them in front of his friends, especially the first two that can't be excused away by delirium). Finn then calls him in between every class period and texts him even more frequently.

There isn't much to report until late in the morning when his fever finally breaks, much to the delight of Carol who has been staying with him for the day.

"Do you know what this means Rory? We finally get to take you home!"

"Really? Today?" asks Rory, overcome with excitement at the idea of finally getting out of this awful place.

"Yes today. Waiting until the moment your temperature returns to normal was the agreement your doctors and I came to. We're going to be doing home nursing care. You still need to be on IV antibiotics as well as other things, but since I'm a nurse your doctors are okay with having me do all that stuff for you at home."

Rory instantly feels guilty. This family has already done so much for him. He hates the thought of Finn's mom taking on the extra burden of bringing her work home with her at his expense.

"Are you sure you want to take that on Carol? I'd be fine staying here until it's no longer needed."

"Of course sweetie. We have to get you home for Thanksgiving."

"What's that?"

"It's an important American holiday where we have a huge turkey dinner and give thanks for what we have. This year we can add your recovery and getting a charming new family member to the list."

Rory blushes furiously at this. Still getting to experience more of American culture is not something he can pass up.

"Burt's on his way with the car to pick us up. I'm going to pack up your stuff. While I'm doing that do you want to text the boys the good news?"

"Actually, could we not tell them?" says Rory with a smile as an idea comes to him. "It would be fun to surprise them when they come home from school. They've been so stressed out lately it would be nice for them to get a happy surprise."

"Good thinking. Also Finn might get over excited if you text him in class and cause a disruption."

They get everything packed up fairly quickly, with Rory helping out the best he can while still remaining in bed. It's not long before Burt appears with a wheelchair to wheel him out.

"Hey kiddo, I hear you're coming home with us."

"Yes sir," Rory answers shyly as Burt helps him from the bed to the wheelchair.

"None of that now. We've talked about this Rory; I want you to call me Burt."

During the car ride over Rory is beyond excited to be going to Finn and Kurt's house. Despite how uncomfortable and irritated he is with the way they've been treating him like a little kid, Rory is so overjoyed to be living with them. He's been so lonely in America and making friends has been tough, so gaining two full time friends at home and school is very much a big deal. When they finally pull up to their house, now his house, he has to fight back a squeal of excitement.

"Right, how are we going to get him from the car to the house? I'm afraid I hadn't thought ahead that far," says Carol.

"I can walk."

"No you will not!" snaps Burt, making him cower slightly in the backseat. "Sorry Rory, I didn't mean to scare you. I just don't want you getting hurt. I'll carry you."

When Burt lifts him out of the car and into his arms Rory does his best to stay calm, reminding himself that as Kurt's Da, he's probably just as kind and gentle as Kurt is. He's not really sure where this fear comes from.

"Careful honey, your heart-"

"Will be fine. It's not that far. Stop worrying so much about this."

That small interaction between Burt and Carol gets Rory's interest more any of Burt's awkward attempts at bonding with him. Kurt had mentioned in passing that the last time he had been at the hospital was after his dad's heart attack, but hadn't thought that it might still be an issue. It fascinates him to think that such a dominating man could be fretted over by his family just as they do with him. They might actually have something in common.

It certainly gives him a lot to think about as he lounges on the Hudson-Hummel living room couch waiting for his new host brothers to return.

_To be continued…_

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><p><em><strong>Just to update everyone I do have an endgame planned so this story will not be going on indefinitely. Depending on how things work out there is going to be between 2-4 more chapters. I'm not sure of the exact number because as much as I try to plan things out this story very much has a mind of its own. Thanks again for all of your amazing support. You guys are awesome. <strong>_


	12. Chapter 12

Being away from Rory for the day was hard, but for Finn's sake Kurt tries his best not to let it show since he knows it's harder on Finn than it is on him. Kurt realizes that if he, the supposive 'strong one' in these matters, is seen to be struggling it will make it even harder on Finn to keep it together.

At this point just about everyone has heard the whole story about what happened to Rory in the gym and as a result for the most part people at school are very nice to them. Kurt does get a few snide comments from jocks about how he is "cheating on his pansy boyfriend with the leprechaun" and is even accused of being a pedophile because of the four year age difference by one of them. Yet that attitude is to be expected from the Neanderthals who can't comprehend the idea of being kind to someone without an alterior motive, so he tries not to let it get to him. Other than that people are almost going out of their way to be kind to them and ask how Rory is doing seeming genuinely concerned for his wellbeing. So all in all the day wasn't too bad, but he is beyond relieved when they can finally head out.

"I'm really worried that something might be wrong," Finn tells him as they are driving home at the end of the day.

"Why?"

"For the past two hours all of the texts I've gotten from Rory have been extremely vague. My mom was the same way when I talked to her before last period. I think they might be covering something up."

"Well even if that is the case that doesn't automatically mean that something is wrong with Rory, it could be any number of things. It's probably nothing anyway." Despite this reassurance Kurt can't help but increase his speed as he drives home to drop off their stuff before heading to the hospital.

When he walks through the door to his house Kurt immediately does a double take. Rory is sitting on their living room grinning wildly at them.

"Hi Finn Hudson! Hi Kurt Hummel! I'm in your house!"

"I can see that. What are you doing here?" asks Finn stupidly, a little slow on the uptake.

"I live here now!" declares Rory with an excessive amount of enthusiasm.

Kurt recovers faster from the shock and goes over to give Rory a hug. "Did you get released from the hospital then?"

"Yup! Your parents brought me home a few hours ago. I wanted to surprise you."

"That's so awesome Rory!"

Finn remains standing rigid in the doorway looking slightly panicked.

"Um…are the doctors sure it's safe for you to be out?"

"I don't have a fever anymore and I can actually get out of bed and walk around a little bit," says Rory defensively, his happy demeanor crumbling as he takes in Finn's reaction. "A few minutes ago I was able to make it from the couch to the other side of the room by meself to get the remote control _and_ I was able to walk to the bathroom with some help from your Ma. It ain't pretty cuz I have a bit of a limp from the stupid knee, but I _can _do it. All going home from the hospital criteria have been met. No worries Finn, you should be happy."

"I am happy," says Finn at last stepping forward to give him a hug as well. "Honestly I'm delighted to have you home with us. You just took me off guard, that's all."

Despite Finn's initial reservations they all have a great afternoon showing Rory around their house and just hanging out with him as 'brothers'. It's a nice change of pace to be able to spend time together without the constant stress and interruptions that comes from doing so in a hospital. Even more importantly for that entire day Rory is almost constantly smiling. Kurt never really got to know Rory during the time that they were in school together, but the one thing about Rory that stood out to him the most, besides the accent and falsetto, was the fact that Rory always seemed to have a smile on his face. Even when he was lonely and was being bullied he still approached life with a constant smile. That constant chipper attitude had all but vanished after Rory got hurt, so it's great to see its return. To Kurt this change signals his recovery more than any of the medical test could.

He wishes the same could be said for Finn. He seems downright miserable, looking at normally mundane objects from a fork to the sharp edge of the coffee table with increasing anxiety. Kurt also keeps catching him staring off in the distance looking deep in thought, which for Finn is an highly unusual occurrence. Finally Kurt has to pull him aside to ask what's wrong.

"It's just…I thought that Rory finally coming home to stay with us would be exciting, but…I'm kind of petrified."

"Why? Rory is doing so much better now and Carol will make sure everything goes smoothly medically."

Finn sighs and runs his hands through his hair nervously. "It's not the same. In the hospital there's the constant security of knowing that medical help is always available at all times. We were always close by to doctors, nurses and specialized equipment. Here all we have is my mom and she's not available at all times. There's only one of her. Plus there are so many more ways he can hurt himself here, especially with him walking around. He's just one clumsy misstep away from disaster. That's scary Kurt. I don't know how well I'll be able to protect him. I don't think I can do this."

Kurt has similar fears about their ability to properly take care of him, but again decides not to share them with Finn. Reassurance would be far more productive.

"You know that even if Rory does fall or cut himself it's not like it's going to be like it was last Tuesday. I've been doing a lot of research on the internet and found out hemophilia doesn't cause bleeding to be heavier or more frequent; the problem is not being able to _stop_ bleeding. With his injections we do have a tool to stop it. At home we'll always have access to it and dad's going to talk to the school about making an expectation to the no needles rule and allow him to carry the supplies with him in his backpack. What happened to him last week is not going to happen again."

"Yeah I know all that, but I'm still scared Kurt. I can't help it."

"I know. I am too," Kurt finally admits. "After the roller coaster we've been through with him I don't think it's possible not to be. We can't let Rory know that though. He might start to think that we're scared of him or don't want him living with us."

"We can do this Finn."

After much debate on Rory's living arrangement they decide to place their extra bed in Finn's room instead of the tiny fourth bedroom downstairs they've been using for storage. It was a tough call because they're all worried about Rory's ability to handle the stairs, but none of them were comfortable with him sleeping alone downstairs while he's still recovering. What they finally decided on was for Rory to spend most of the day on the couch and just use Finn's room for sleep until they're comfortable with him going up and down the stairs without help. What ultimately drove the final ruling was both Finn and Rory's enthusiasm at the idea of rooming together. Given Rory's persistent nightmares it's also probably for the best that he doesn't sleep alone until this issue resolves.

Finn, Kurt and Burt all elect to go through training on how to access his port. Carol's a pro at this and Rory can do it himself in front of a mirror, which he always did for himself while at the Pierce's, but they feel that they should all be prepared in case of an emergency. This is especially important when Finn and Kurt realize that even if Finn had gotten a hold of the medication in the nurses office, it still would have been useless without the ability to access Rory's line. It also freaks them out to realize that in McKinley only one person, the school nurse, knows how to do it and she's only there part time.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun this year. Rory's enthusiasm for this classic American holiday was infectious. They all end up watching the Macy's parade together, which Kurt hadn't watched in years, with Rory bouncing in his chair with excitement all the way through. It's a bit like having a puppy.

Best of all the big Thanksgiving dinner finally got Rory to eat a full meal instead of just picking on his food like he'd been doing since being hospitalized. They've all been worried about the amount of weight he's been losing as a result; his normally chubby cheeks have visibly decreased in size. But on Thanksgiving he and Finn completely devour everything in sight and make their way through several pies.

The two of them can be such little boys sometimes. Especially with their mutual love of video games that as roommates they spend countless hours playing together and getting way too into it yelling at each other for minor game related transgressions. Rory is very different from Finn in so many ways, but at his core he's very much a mini-Finn.

However when Kurt brought this up to his dad he was quick to point out that in personality, looks and singing ability Rory is more of a cross between Finn _and_ Kurt. Blaine and Rachel both agree with this and start to refer to Rory as "the Furt lovechild" during their many visits much to Kurt and Finn's mutual embarrassment. Rory also shares in their embarrassment once they explain to him what "a Furt" (as Rory words it when he asks) and a lovechild is, but he also seems somewhat pleased with the nickname.

Kurt's definitely enjoying having a little brother.

* * *

><p>It doesn't take Rory long to realize after getting over the initial novelty of living at Kurt and Finn's house that his time in recovery here is just as boring as in the hospital. He's just replaced lying in the hospital all day watching tv to doing the thing on their living room couch. Rory is honestly starting to go insane vegging out all day with nothing to cut into it except occasional doctor's appointments. The highlight of his days is when Finn and Kurt are home from school. Yet that time is rapidly shrinking since with sectionals coming up they're spending more and more time after school rehearsing. Taking into account that, Finn's football practice and Kurt's class president duties he doesn't get to see a whole lot of them.<p>

It drives Rory crazy thinking about New Directions rehearing for sectionals without him. Competing with the group at sectionals had been the thing he was most looking forward to all term. When he presses Kurt for details of how it's going Kurt admits that even with Mercedes rejoining the group out of guilt for what happened to him, they are still two members short and are struggling as a result.

It's because of this that he starts to beg Burt and Carol (mainly Carol) to let him return to school the Monday after Thanksgiving, exactly one week after he was released from the hospital.

"Rory honey, do you really think that's a good idea?" says Carol on the third time he brings it up. "Think about it. You might be over the infection and kidney issues, but your body hasn't recovered yet. Even at home you can't go more than a few hours without taking a nap, so how could you possibly get through a whole day of school?"

He must be wearing her down if she's gone from a blanket no, to trying to negotiate with him.

"That's just because I'm so bored and have nothing else to do to pass the time. I need to get out and do something. Please? I'm tired of taking sick from school. Getting an education is one of the main reasons I came here, I don't want to miss out on that."

Carol sighs. Rory knew the 'getting an education' factor would be hard for a parent to argue with. "I can't just let you go for an entire day after this. That would be like sending you back to the wolves."

"A half day then? I can go to my three classes after lunch and then Glee club practice. If that goes well we can add in one more class each day. Just let me try. If you don't try you'll never know. Please?" Rory flashes her his best puppy dog face for good measure.

"Okay Rory. Two and a half hours of school sounds somewhat reasonable. I'll e-mail your teachers and school nurse to let them know what going on. You have to promise me two things though."

"Anything," says Rory enthusiastically, delighted by how this just played out.

"First if you get too tired I want you to go straight to the nurses office so you can lie down and give us a call if it all becomes too much. Can I trust you to do that?"

"Yes," Rory lies.

"Good," she eyes him suspiciously. "Finally in Glee club you are not to do any dancing. I just want you to remain seated and sing along. No choreography, no dancing and no swaying in the background. Clear?"

"That I can do! I've never been a fan of dancing anyway."

* * *

><p>"You said he can do what?" Finn yells at his mom, absolutely livid at this sudden betrayal. He thought she was on their side.<p>

"He made a very convincing argument. It's just going to be for a few hours anyway. Try to calm down Finn. This is what Rory wants to do and it probably will do him some good to get out of the house for awhile. "

"No it won't! He's not ready mom."

"How do you know that? Rory says he is and that's good enough for me."

"But this is coming from a boy who has a history of repeatedly lying about medical problems," Kurt interjects. "Also I don't know if you guys have realized this yet or not, but Rory has quite a manipulative streak to him. He's really good at it too. He knows exactly how to push peoples buttons and will say just about anything to get what he wants."

Finn has a very hard time believing that Kurt's last claim could possibly be true of his sweet Rory, but elects not to argue with it since it supports his argument.

"Look guys, I'm sorry if this upsets you, but it's already been finalized. I can't just go back on my word after telling Rory he can go. I've e-mailed all of his teachers about what's going on so they will be looking out for him. But if you want you can enact special between hallway security details among yourselves."

Having lost the argument Finn and Kurt immediately set to work planning just that. Rory has already faced issues in the past with bullies and they don't want it to happen again. Especially now since with Rachel more or less telling the entire school about Rory's differences during the presidential speech they are concerned he might become more of a target. Another major concern related to that is that Rory doesn't know about it. As far as he knows only the Glee Club knows about what happened and that's upsetting enough. Hopefully they can prevent anyone from saying something to him about it.

* * *

><p>When Burt drops Rory off at school at the end of the lunch period Finn and Kurt are both waiting anxiously outside the school for him.<p>

"Are you_ sure_ you want to do this Rory?" Finn asks him for about the thousandth time.

"Yes Finn, I'm quite sure," Rory frowns, noticing that while the bell has rung to signal the end of the lunch period neither of his host brothers has shown any signs of moving. "Em, shouldn't we get going?"

"Not yet. We're going to wait until two minutes before the tardy bell so that the hallway will be mostly clear. You'll still be on time and if not you're teachers won't mind."

"Why are we doing that? And what about you fellas being late?"

"Just for safety. The hallways can get really crowded. Don't worry about us. We've taken care of it." Finn glances at his watch. "Okay, uh, I guess we can go in now."

Finn and Kurt each grab on to one of his arms and they practically frog march him into the building and down the hallway. Rory is so taken aback by this that he doesn't know how to respond. He had prepared himself for Finn being very protective of him, but this is a little excessive. Out of embarrassment Rory purposefully avoids the gaze of the few students that they do pass on the way to his English class.

"Looks like you're still on time. Sit in the front of the class by the teacher okay? I'm going to pick you up at the end of the period and take you to your next class. Just wait in the classroom and _do not_ leave until I get there. Understand?"

"Yes Finn Hudson," Rory says grumpily before stalking into class. It's one thing for him to treat him this way in the privacy of their home, but at school it's reached a whole new level of embarrassing.

Contrary to Finn's orders he purposefully chooses a seat in the back corner of the room to avoid people's stares. Two weeks is a long time to be out sick from school, enough to get people talking, but he hadn't expected quite this much blatant staring and hushed whispers at his return. It's quite unnerving.

Halfway through the period Rory can feel himself getting increasingly tired. He isn't doing anything besides sitting in his desk and attempting to listen to his teacher, but even that task seems to take up more energy than he expected. Maybe it's the poor back support the desk chair provides or maybe it's the mental energy of having to focus, but whatever it is by the end of the period he's ready to put his head down and take a nap. But with Finn coming to fetch him showing his fatigue is not an option, so instead he stands in the front of the classroom and leans against the door trying to look casual.

"Hi Rors, how are you doing? Are you feeling okay?"

"Everything's grand. It's nice to be back in the swing of things and feel normal again."

"Glad to hear it." Finn puts his arm around him and guides him out of the classroom, studying him carefully. "Though are you sure everything's good? You look a bit pale. You're not getting too tired are you?"

"Not at all. I swear everything's fine. Are you going to be walking me from math to Spanish or will Kurt?"

"Neither. My next classes are on the other side of the campus and Kurt alone wouldn't be the best bodyguard so Puck's going to do it. Make sure you wait for him Rory. Also Mr. Schuster is going to walk with you to the choir room after your class with him."

"Sound good. Thanks Finn. I'll see you in Glee Club!"

Math class ends up being even worse than English. Two weeks of Algebra is a lot to miss, so he's completely lost on what's going on and isn't able to solve any of the problems he's supposed to be doing. It makes his head hurt. By the time the class is over he's not only completely wiped out with exhaustion, but he's also feeling dizzy and downright sick. Rory had promised himself that he_ wouldn't _keep his promise to Carol about going to the nurse if he gets tired, but now he reluctantly realizes that lying down for a while will be the only way he'll be able to make it through the day and still do Glee club.

Rory decides not to wait for Puck. While Puck was nice to him when he visited him in the hospital, Rory doesn't know him at all and he's kind of a scary guy. He'd rather not have to explain to him that he doesn't feel well and ask Puck to walk him to the nurse instead. Plus as Finn's best friend he would surely tell him about it and Finn would overreact. So as soon as the bell rings Rory bolts from the room and allows himself to disappear into the crowded hall of students. He doesn't slow down until he knows he's far away enough away from the math class that he's reasonably confident that Puck won't find him as he makes his way to the nurse's office.

"Welcome back freak!"

Out of nowhere someone comes up behind him and shoves him into the lockers. Already feeling off balance Rory goes flying and collides with it hard and his head smacks painfully against the aluminum.

"That's for costing me the election. You just had to go and be such a baby about a wittle nosebleed didn't you? You're such a wuss Flanagan."

Rory momentarily lies on the ground where he fell, completely overcome with dizziness and willing himself not to pass out. Once his vision clears he forces himself to sit up and discovers that the hallway has cleared. No one had even bothered to check if he was okay.

He slowly stands up, but instantly has to lean back against the locker for support since he's hit with a giant wave of lightheadedness. Everything is spinning. Rory breathes deeply for a few minutes before shaking himself back into the present. Where was he going again? He just got out of math so... Spanish class. Right. Somehow he manages to make it down the hallway and stumble through the right door to his class.

"Hi Rory I was starting to think you weren't coming in today-whoa." Mr. Schue was initially addressing him while still facing the blackboard, but as soon as he looks up he freezes, taking in his appearance.

"Rory buddy, you don't look so good. Here. " Mr. Schue grabs the swivel chair from his desk, pulls it over to the front door and guides him into it. Everyone in the class is staring at him in morbid fascination.

"All right guys, I want you all to get out your workbooks and work on page 43 while I attend to Rory." The teacher shuts the door and pulls the chair to the corner of the room by his desk where they have a little more privacy. As he does so Rory closes his eyes and grips the edge of the chair tightly because even that light movement makes him feel queasy.

"What's going on Rory? You're scaring me a little. You look ghost pale. Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened," rasps Rory, still breathing heavily. "It's just a lot of work, all the walking around between classes and having to sit up straight and focus. Do you think maybe I could go to the nurse for the rest of the period and have a lie in?"

"No, you need to go home. This is obviously too much for you and if you can't manage for more than a few hours you shouldn't be in school. I'm going to call Burt to come pick you up. Try putting your head on my desk, it might help."

Beyond the point of caring what others think, Rory lays his head down on the teacher's desk between his folded arms. At least this way he can't see everyone staring at him and it does make the room stop spinning so much. A few minutes later he feels Mr. Schue's hand on him rubbing his back.

"Burt's on his way. He'll be here in about ten minutes or so. I need to get back to teaching, will you be okay? Would you like me to call Finn to come sit with you?"

"No, he'd overreact. Maybe Kurt? He'd be calm about this."

"That's easy. He's right next door in French class. I'll be right back."

It isn't long before he feels the familiar soft hands running through his hair. "Hey baby, not feeling too well?"

"Not really," Rory admits since there was no use in denying it right now. He turns his head to the side so that he can look at Kurt, but purposely avoids looking in the direction of his classmates. There's no way of getting out of this compromising situation right now, so the only thing he can do is pretend he's elsewhere.

Kurt kneels down next to him and squeezes his hand as Mr. Schue goes back to lecturing the class. "I guess it's just a bit too soon. It might be best to wait until after winter break to come back," Kurt whispers.

"But I wanna compete in sectionals," he whispers back in a half whine. Kurt rolls his eyes at him, seeming to see through the intent of the whine. Rory makes a mental note to not try to manipulate Kurt anymore or to do so to others in front of him.

"I can understand that. We might be able to still make that happen by working you into one number that doesn't have a lot of dancing. I can talk to the group about it today. Sound good?"

"Yeah." He'd like to be in _all _of the numbers, but his body seems to have other ideas.

"Did you really ask for me specifically? I would have assumed you'd want Finn."

"I know I can trust you not to throw a scene."

"I'm honored," Kurt smirks, reaching over to ruffle his hair playfully.

"Hold on, what is that? I feel a lump on your head." Crap! Kurt pushes back his hair revealing what is likely a well formed bruise. "Rory what happened? Did you fall or… Oh god, somebody pushed you into a locker didn't they?"

"No."

"You're lying." Before he can stop him Kurt rolls up the sleeves of Rory's sweater. There are numerous fresh bruises freckled across his arm. One of the many things he hates about having hemophilia is that it's next to impossible to hide an injury.

"Who did this to you?" Kurt looks livid.

"One of the guys from the hockey team. I don't know who. It's not a big deal."

"Yes it is. Rory this is not okay! Right now it's not safe for you to come to school. If this continues it will only be a matter of time before you're back in the hospital. You can't keep these things a secret!" Kurt's now speaking loudly enough that everyone in the class looks over at them.

"Guys, is everything okay?" asks Mr. Schue. Thankfully he didn't hear what was being said.

"We're fine. Kurt just needs to work on volume control." Rory gives Kurt a pointed look, mentally begging him not to say anything while they have an audience.

"Yeah sorry, I'll be quieter."

Rory lets out a sigh of relief. One of the things he likes best about Kurt is how he respects his boundaries and need for privacy. At least most of the time.

"Were you alone? Who was supposed to be with you?" Kurt whispers frantically.

"Puck, but it's not his fault. I purposefully left without waiting for him."

Kurt scowls at this, but doesn't say anything. Instead he just sits quietly and strokes his hair until Burt arrives.

"Thanks for coming," he hears the teacher murmur to Burt. "He almost passed out on me when he first entered my classroom a few minutes ago. He's definitely not ready to be back in school just yet."

"Sounds like it. Poor kid: he looks beyond exhausted. Do you think you'll be okay to walk kiddo or-"

"I can walk!" Rory cuts in. There's no way in hell he's letting Burt carry him through the school no matter how bad he might be feeling.

The two Hummel's support him on either side and they make their way out of the classroom. Once the door is shut Kurt turns to his dad and addresses him seriously.

"Dad this isn't just exhaustion. Someone from the hockey team pushed Rory into a locker. He hit his head."

"What!" Burt's grip on him tightens significantly.

"Rory show him your bruises." Reluctantly he rolls up his sleeve, bracing himself for the reaction.

Burt lets out a roar of fury, snatches out his cell phone and begins taking pictures of the bruises, much to Rory's absolute horror.

"Kurt, here are my keys. Get him to my truck and stay with him until I get back. I'm talking to Figgins right now. There's going to be hell to pay!"

As Burt storms Rory feels like crying. By returning to school he had hoped for things to finally return to normal, but instead he just created more drama.

* * *

><p>"Alright Rory, come on. Let's get you to my dad's truck." Kurt puts his arms around the younger boy's waist for support and leads him out to the parking lot. It's slow going since from a combination of the exhaustion and blow to the head Rory is significantly unsteady on his feet.<p>

He is so unbelievably furious about what happened. At Rory for leaving without protection and trying to cover up what happened. At Puck for not intercepting him in time. At Carol for falling for Rory's obvious manipulation and allowing him to come to school. Obviously at the hockey team for what they did, but most of all at the school itself for creating an atmosphere that would allow this to happen. It was bad enough when he was being targeted, but to do this to a boy that everyone knows is vulnerable to injury is completely crossing the line.

"What's your Da going to do?" Rory asks quietly once Kurt has helped him into the passenger seat.

"Probably yell a lot, demand action and criticize the school staff for not doing anything about bullying. Pretty much the same thing he did when I was the primary target last year."

"You were? Why did you pick on you?" Rory seems completely taken aback by this knowledge. Kurt mentally kicks himself for not talking to him about this before. Rory was in the hospital as a result of bullying and Kurt knew darn well that he had been a target since his arrival. Kurt should have brought this up weeks ago. He knows Finn has talked to Rory about this a few times, but it's not the same. Finn doesn't know what it's like to be the victim.

"For the same reason as you, because I'm different. For you it's because you're foreign and for me because I'm gay."

"And because I have a disability," Rory adds in a whisper.

"Yes, because of that," Kurt agrees sadly. People suck!

"That was why it happened this time. The guy who pushed me said it was because my nosebleed cost him the election. I don't know what he was talking about, but clearly the news of my difference has spread."

Rick the Stick! Kurt reaches for his phone aand quickly texts his dad the name of the perpetrator.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just texting my dad to let him know we made it to his pickup." He knows that Rory will likely object to the thought of getting an individual student in trouble, an objection that Kurt fully objects to, so he doesn't want to tell him just yet.

"I want you to know that these people are just scared of what they don't understand. It's their own insecurities that's the issue, not us. We did nothing wrong. They just see us as easy targets. But that's not true. We're stronger than them Rory. Neither of us should accept it lying down and the first step to fighting back is to tell someone. I learned the hard way that there is no reason to suffer in silence."

"What do you mean?"

Kurt tells Rory the entire story of everything that happened last year with Karofsky. From the intensified bullying, confrontation and death threat all the way up until his run in with him at the gay bar a few weeks ago.

"Wow, that's a lot. Just…wow. You dealt with all that? I never would have imagined you being bullied like I am. You just seem so confident, like you own this school."

"It took a long time to get to this place trust me. This time a year ago I was a complete mess. The thing that helped me the most was Blaine's simple advice of courage and to refuse to be the victim. Having courage doesn't mean just toughing it out, it means actually doing something about it and speaking up for your rights. The thing is Rory you might just be the best thing to happen to this school."

Rory scoffs at that. "Yeah right."

"No I'm serious. McKinley has developed this terrible culture where teachers just turn the other cheek to harassment and the bullying is seen as a rite of passage. But because with you every shove leaves a concrete injury that can't be ignored and more severe bullying can lead to dire consequences the school is going to have no choice but to address this issue. You can make a difference in the lives of everyone at this school and for future students, but that won't happen unless you speak up."

"You mean like…publically?" Rory looks at the verge of panic at that idea.

"No, of course not. I wouldn't ask you to do that. I just mean telling a teacher when something happens, or at the very least me or Finn. If you're not going to do it for your own benefit, at least do it for me and every other kid who has ever been made to feel unsafe at their own school. Could you do that Rory?"

Slowly Rory gives him a small nod, looking him right in the eye with his piercing blue eyes. For once Kurt actually believes beyond a doubt that he's not being played.

* * *

><p>When Burt joins them in the parking lot he is red in the face and tense from what Rory can only imagine to have been a heated shouting match. It takes everything in his power to not think about what must have gone down because if he does he risks going into a massive panic attack.<p>

"How'd it go?" asks Kurt mildly, climbing out of the driver's seat so that Burt can get in.

"It's been dealt with. I'll tell you about it later. "

Burt's probably not saying anything about it for his own benefit. Normally he would demand to know what's going on, but right now he just doesn't feel up for it. It's not a stretch to say that Rory is completely miserable, both mentally and physically. All he wants to do right now is go home and sleep, preferably without nightmares.

When they part ways with Kurt and they get onto the road Rory lets out an involuntary groan. The movement of the truck makes him feel a bit nauseous and his world once again starts spinning at an alarming rate.

"You alright kiddo?"

"Yeah it just feels like everything's spinning. Think I'm a bit carsick."

As soon as they reach the next intersection Burt makes a sharp turn that makes Rory's stomach jolt and they head in the opposite direction.

"This isn't the way home. Are we going to the tire shop?" Rory had spent some time there with him once before on one of his recovery days that neither Burt nor Carol could get off work. Going there now is not ideal, but at least there's a couch in Burt's office he can sleep on.

"Nope. I'm taking you to the hospital."

Oh dear god! He admits to feeling sick and just like that Burt decides it's worthy of a hospital trip? Really?

"Burt, come on that's ridicules. It's just a few bruises. I'm not_ that_ fragile."

"Rory you have a lump on your head and you're feeling dizzy. I need to be sure you don't have a concussion or are bleeding into your brain. In case you aren't aware, that would be bad."

"I'm fine! I'm so sick of you guys treating me like I'm made of glass! I don't need the hospital!" Rory's shocked by himself to find that he's actually yelling at Burt. This is a guy that honestly terrifies him and who has been kind enough to take him in and here he is _yelling_ at him. Yet right now he's so overcome with emotion all shred of self control has abandoned him.

" I'm sorry kid, but I just can't trust you to be honest about any symptoms you might be having. If there was a serious problem I'm not sure if you would tell me. Because of that you've put me in a position where I'm going to have to take every minor issue extremely seriously. Whether you like it or not I'm getting you checked out."

"That's not fair!"

"None of this is fair Rory, but I think you already know that."

* * *

><p>Finn is just congratulating himself on how well he had coordinated Rory's bodyguards for the day when Puck catches up with him right after their last class of the day.<p>

"Dude, what happened to your little Irish shadow? Did he go home early?"

"I'm sorry what?" Finn half yells, but Puck doesn't seem fazed.

"The Irish kid, what's his name? I went to his math class just like you told me too but he wasn't there after all that fuss you made about it. I even texted you about it but you never responded. What's the deal?"

Warning bells immediately go off in Finn's mind and he snatches out his phone only to find that it had accidently been turned off while in his back pocket. Finn lets out a colorful string of explicatives as he turns it back on. He has over a dozen missed texts and calls from Kurt, his stepdad and Mr. Schue.

If there was ever a time he came closest to having a complete mental breakdown it would be in this moment.

* * *

><p>They are in and out of the hospital fairly quickly. Burt contacts the hematologist assigned to Rory's case who gets Rory in for a CT scan independent of the ER. They are then sent on their way with the instructions to not let Rory sleep for more than an hour at a time until the results are back. Rory refuses to speak to Burt the entire time they are there and once they get back in the truck.<p>

"See that wasn't so bad. It was nice of them to let us bypass the ER don't you think?"

Rory just glares at him.

"Look I know you're mad at me kid, but it had to be done. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hadn't gotten you checked out and something were to happen to you. Now that I know everything's okay I can sleep easily tonight. Think of this as a hospital trip to keep my weak heart free of anxiety and functioning normally."

Rory sits quietly for a minute taking this in.

"Does it bother you?" he finally asks softly. "Having people constantly feel the need to protect you and prevent you from doing things because of your heart? Or being the subject of gossip?"

"Of course it does! Kurt won't let me eat my favorite foods anymore and my whole family is always worried about me overexerting myself. But you know what, at the end of the day I know it all comes from a place of love and that they wouldn't be doing that if they didn't care about me. Being overly loved is a good problem to have, don't you think Rory? We're both so lucky to have so many people in our lives who care about us."

"I guess so. It's just… ever since I got sick it feels like everyone's been treating me like I'm a little kid. I hate it!"

"I see where you're coming from Rory, truly I do. That's the last thing someone your age would want. Would you be willing to make a deal with me regarding that?"

Rory nods; anything would probably be better than how it is now.

"I'll start talking to the others about treating you like the independent teenager that you are, but in exchange I need you to start being totally honest with me about any medical problems you're having. Until I can trust you to do that and start expressing your needs we really don't have a choice but to coddle you. Deal?"

"Deal," Rory agrees with a slight sigh. His apparent dishonesty seems to be the theme of the day.

"So, how bout you give it a try now? I'd like to head back to the shop so I can get some work done and have you hang out in my office, but I need to know if you'd be up to that. How are you feeling Rory?"

"My head is killing me Burt," Rory admits. It's painful to do and goes against every instinct he has. "When we get to the shop do you have anything I can take for that?"

"I keep aspirin in my office I can give you."

"I can't take aspirin. It's a blood thinner and for me damaged platelets is dangerous. Could we maybe buy some Tylenol at a gas station on the way over?"

Making that request was even harder than admitting to being in pain. Every fiber in Rory's being is screaming to just accept the offer graciously and not be a burden, but for the sake of his independence he fights it.

"Atta boy! There's the self-advocacy we've all been looking for. I'm so freaking proud of you kid!"

_To be continued..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>This was probably one of my favorite chapters to write. What did you guys think? Please review! Sam might just be making an appearance in the next chapter. <strong>_


	13. Chapter 13

_**My ten year old sister just got her first service dog, an adorable apricot colored moyen poodle, and named him Rory! She named him after the character Rory Williams from Doctor Who, but the two Rory's are so eerily (and suspiciously) similar in personality, that in my mind he's named after both of them. So I just wanted to brag about how when I do get to visit home and he's not working I get my own personal Rory to cuddle! : )**_

* * *

><p>"What the hell happened?" Finn demands of Kurt having tracked him down in the hallway.<p>

"Rory purposefully left class without Puck and the hockey team was waiting for him. As revenge for losing the election Rick pushed him into the lockers. Afterwards he wasn't feeling well so Dad picked him up."

"Yeah, I got all that from the messages. Is he okay?"

"He's a bit bruised up but otherwise okay, as far as I know."

"What do you mean as far as you know?"

"Okay, don't freak out Finn, but my dad took him to the hospital for scans. I'm sure everything's fine though. He's just picked up the same hyper Rory protection instincts that we have."

"Oh god! Rory's back in the hospital? Jesus Christ Kurt, how can you assume everything's fine? I'm heading over there now." Finn turns away to make a mad dash to the hospital to be with Rory, but Kurt grabs him firmly by the arm.

"Finn, I know everything's fine because I was the one who discovered his injuries. Rory has some nasty looking bruises but is otherwise okay."

"What? _You_ discovered? How come you were with him at all?" asks Finn, his intense feelings of fear now mixed with a hint of jealousy.

"Mr. Schue had me sit with Rory in his classroom while he was waiting for my dad to come pick him up."

"He did? But…why did he get you and not me? No offense, but Rory's more my friend than yours."

"Rory asked for me."

Finn feels like someone just doused him with a cold slushie. Why didn't Rory want him to look after him when he felt sick? Right now his relationship with Rory and his unique ability to take care of him is one of the few things in Finn's life that makes him feel good about himself. He feels worthless in all other aspects of his life, but this is something that is extremely important and he's actually better at than anyone else. Having that taken away from him, even in this one tiny way, feels like an enormous betrayal.

"Why?"

"Because he said he can trust me to stay calm," Kurt says gently. "Could you honestly tell me you could keep calm if you found him at Mr. Schues desk looking ill and then find a welt on his head and bruises all over his arms? Or if he blatantly lied to you about what happened and then tried to convince you that it wasn't a big deal? Could you have stayed calm for that?"

"No, but I shouldn't have to. No one can expect a person to be calm under those circumstances."

"Rory does."

Finn is ready to throw something in frustration. What Rory wants is becoming increasingly unreasonable. Rory wants to be normal, but he's not and needs to learn to just accept that. It's a scary thought that right now his number one enemy in protecting Rory is Rory.

He needs a concrete way to deal with this. The feeling this is bringing up is just too overwhelming to have without an outlet. Finn's glad that this time around there is a very black and white bad guy, so the next course of action is obvious: beat up the hockey team.

Finn quickly texts Puck the plan who unquestionably agrees; as does Kurt but far more reluctantly. Though they need a few more people in order for this to work. He's going to have to make allies with the former enemy. Finn quickly tracks her down at her locker.

"Hey Santana, do you still want to make it up to Rory for what you did to him?"

"That depends. You look a little unstable right now, but I'm listening."

"I need you to help me beat up the hockey team. It was Rory's first day back and they attacked him. This is so much worse then what you did because they _know_ how fragile he is and it sounds like it was planned. Are you in?"

Finn glares at her in a way that makes it clear that if she declines, she'll be the next target on his revenge hit list.

"I'm in. Knowingly doing that to a kid like Rory is completely crossing the line. Even I know that."

The three of them meet up with Kurt and Blaine, who Kurt insists needs to be included if they want to do damage, before stalking off to the parking lot where they know the hockey team always hang out after school.

Finn and Blaine go at it the hardest. Blaine is actually an amazing boxer and has some unexpected rage issues that make him the ideal ally for a revenge beating.

"All right guys break it up!" yells the authoritive voice of Coach Beiste and everyone stops what they are doing at her appearance.

Once he stops Finn notices that his nose is bleeding. It's such a minor thing—it has happened to him all the time at football games and as a result of his own general clumsiness. Yet this time all he can think about is Rory's nosebleed two weeks ago, how bad it became and the dire consequences that followed. It's not fair that he can shrug something like this off and Rory can't. Thinking about what might happen if Rory was in his position right now sends Finn into a fresh fit of rage and he launches himself at Rick, taking him completely off guard. He manages to get in a number of heavy punches and doesn't stop his assault on Rick until Beiste physically plants herself between the two and pulls them apart.

Now Rick is the one who is bleeding. Now if he could just not clot and he would be truly paid back for what he did. He will though, so no matter how many any of them hit him things will never be even.

"What the hell is going on here?" demands Beiste.

"It's not our fault coach. Those assholes attacked Rory. We didn't have a choice," says Puck.

"They what? Where's Rory? Is he okay?" She looks around frantically, apparently under the impression that he was a part of the fight.

"He went home an hour ago. My dad had to take him to the hospital because of what that one did," Kurt snarls, gesturing towards Rick who is picking himself off the ground.

"Figgins has dealt with them already, but we're sure it wasn't enough. We had to take matters into our own hands," adds Santana.

"Alright guys, if you're not hurt I want you out of my sight before I write you up for fighting. And don't ever let me catch you in this type of brawl again! I don't care who did what. You guys are better than this." That last comment is directed at them.

None of them feel guilty though, or at least Finn doesn't. He'd do it again in a heartbeat.

* * *

><p>Rory's been asleep on the couch in Burt's office for at least an hour when the door opens and he's awoken by the sound of conversation.<p>

"Just give me a minute Mike. I have a sick kid in my office I have to check on," he hears Burt say.

"Aw, is Kurt sick? It must be pretty bad if you won't leave him home alone."

"It's not Kurt."

"Your new stepson then? What's his name, Finn?"

"Nope, this is a different kid."

"Jeez how many teenage boys do you have now Burt?"

"Currently three and we might be getting another one soon. They've been multiplying. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Burt kneels down on the floor next to the couch Rory's been napping on and gently strokes his head.

"Hey buddy, I'm sorry to wake you. I just wanted to see how you are doing."

"I'm okay," Rory says groggily without thinking. When Burt gives him a stern look he quickly elaborates. "Feeling a bit banged up and sore and the headaches still there, but it's not as bad as before."

"Fantastic. Not that you don't feel great, but fantastic that you told me. Also since we're still on concussion watch could you tell me your name and where you are?"

"I'm at Hummel Tire's and Lube and I'm Furt's lovechild Rory Leprechaun."

"That you are, though I hope the head injury hasn't caused you to really think so," laughs Burt. "Speaking of which the doctor called and your scans came back clear, so we don't have to worry about any micro-bleeds in your brain that could get out of control."

His host family has been doing a little too much reading on hemophilia lately. Rory liked it better when they were completely in the dark about it.

"However your doctor does think you might have a mild concussion. If I asked you a few questions regarding that would you be honest with me?"

"That's the deal," Rory agrees reluctantly.

"When you were in class right before getting pushed how were you feeling?"

Rory pauses, trying to decide if there's a way he can fabricate the truth a bit without Burt catching on.

"Come on Rory, you can do this. I know it's hard for you but it truly is in your best interests to tell the truth here."

"I felt sick," Rory says at last, each syllable taking an extraordinary amount of effort. "I was exhausted, dizzy, already had a headache... I probably wouldn't have hit the locker quite so hard if I wasn't already feeling off balance."

"Did you black out at all after you hit your head? Even for a moment?"

"No, at least I don't think so. I came close, but I'm pretty sure I didn't. Though when I fell the hallway was crowded, but when I got back up it was empty, so it's possible."

A fresh wave of anger flashes in Burt's eyes. "Are you saying you might have been lying unconscious in a crowded hallway and no one stopped to help you?"

"I don't think I was though, I really don't. But yeah, when I was on the ground I was ignored. People were just stepping over me."

Before Rory knows what's happening Burt is back on his feet in an intense fury.

"I hate this school! What is wrong with the people there that would make them act so inhumanely? So far two out of my three sweet boys have been unfairly tormented. I'm sick of it! When I get to congress anti-bullying legislation will be my first act of business, that's for sure."

Rory stares at him open mouthed. On one hand his initial fear of Burt is reignited by this outburst, but on the other he's amazed to hear himself grouped in the same category as his actual sons.

"I'm sorry Rory, I keep forgetting that this sort of thing makes you nervous. The rest of my family is so used to it."

"Did…did you just refer to me as your boy…and earlier your kid?" he asks hesitantly.

"Why not? You're both of those things and legally speaking you are temporarily mine. Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"No, just unexpected...What was that I heard you say earlier about getting another teenage boy?" Rory is embarrassed and eager to change the subject.

"I'll let Finn talk to you about that tonight."

Talking to Finn. That's one thing he is not looking forward to. Rory knows that once Finn finds out what happened he will completely freak out. Rory loves Finn as a friend and as a brother so much, yet his intensity regarding Rory's health is exhausting.

"I saw that look. Are you worried about how he's going to react to you getting hurt?"

Rory gives a small nod.

"He loves you so much Rory. You're the little brother he never had. You know that right?"

Rory shrugs, not sure how much of that to believe or not. Three weeks ago he would have been overjoyed to have Finn refer to him as even a causal friend.

"I just wish he would lighten up a bit," he whispers, dodging Burt's question.

"I know and I will talk to him if you continue to keep your end of the deal. Finn's over protectiveness is just his way of dealing with the emotional trauma we went through two weeks ago. You do need to understand just how terrifying it was to be on our side of things when you were in the hospital. You are so lucky that you don't remember the worst of what happened. Experiencing something like that can be a life changing experience and Finn is only eighteen."

"But Kurt-"

"Has dealt with this type of thing before. His mom died from cancer when he was nine years old and last year he almost lost me as well. In some ways the pain he experienced was worse because of his experience, but he's now highly skilled at compartmentalizing this hurt. With Finn this is all raw and new. He's dealing with it the best that he can. I know you've dealt with having a chronic condition all your life so you're used to this type of thing, but most people aren't so a certain level of patience is required."

It's ironic to hear Burt say that because the reality is Rory does remember everything that happened and _is _struggling quite a bit as a result of the emotional trauma. One of the main reasons he was so desperate to return to school is because he needs a distraction to keep his mind off of these memories. Yet this is one need he isn't going to express directly, no matter what kind of a deal he's struck with Burt.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon Finn and Kurt return home looking a little worse for wear. Both are decorated with multiple cuts and bruises that announce their recent fight to the world, or more specifically their parents. Kurt is especially worried about what his dad will say. He's never gotten into a fight or any real trouble before. This is a unique situation that was totally worth it, but he still can't stand the thought of his dad being disappointed in him.<p>

When they hear the front door opening signaling Burt and Rory's return they look at each other nervously, torn between wanting to see if Rory's okay and hiding what happened from Burt. Yet checking on Rory ends up winning by a landslide and they both race downstairs.

"Try not to crowd Rory guys. He has a mild concussion and needs to go upstairs and sleep. He's okay otherwise so-" his dad begins, before he's interrupted by a sudden yelp from Rory when he notices their appearance.

"Oh my god, what happened to you two? You look worse than I do!"

His dad looks them up and down; expressions of fear, anger and the dreaded disappointment flashing across his face

"Fight with the hockey team. They can't do that to you and get away with it," Finn declares proudly.

All the color drains from Rory's face at this revelation. "You did what?" he says faintly

Kurt steps forward to grab Rory around the waist and guides him to the living room couch just in case the shock becomes too much for him.

"Kurt Hummel, you got into the fight too?" It's not hard to read between the lines of this question. That he expects this sort of thing from Finn, but not from him. Kurt's supposed to be the one Rory can count on not to take things too far. Great, now Rory's disappointed in him as well.

"I have to look out for my brothers Rory. You and Finn. I'm sure you would have done the same if the positions were reversed."

"Only not, because you know damn well how dangerous getting into a fist fight would be," Finn adds. He sits down next to Rory and pushes back his hair to examine the welt on Rory's head. "Forget that though, how are you Rory? What was Burt saying about you having a concussion?"

"Possibly a mild one and we're not really sure. But my head hurts and I'm just so tired."

Kurt glances up at his dad in surprise who smiles back at him. Did Rory just admit to feeling unwell on his own accord? For him that's a huge accomplishment.

"Which brings me back to not crowding him and letting Rory get some sleep. Finn, stop examining Rory's injuries and help him upstairs to bed."

Finn completely ignores his stepdad and instead continues his examination of Rory, lifting up his shirt to see the full extent of the damage.

"Look Rory we're matching," Finn jokes, pointing to all three of their bruises. "Now we really do look like brothers. Should we compare bruises, see whose are bigger?"

"Mine will be. They always are. I didn't even get into a real fight," says Rory sadly as Finn continues his inspection.

"Finn that's enough. He's already been looked over by a doctor and a CT scan. Now would you please do what you're told and help Rory upstairs to your shared bedroom? Kurt, stay behind. I want a word."

As Finn and Rory leave the room Kurt braces himself for what he can only assume to be the 'disappointed in you' talk.

"You do realize that pending a hearing with the school board, Rick will likely be expelled? For once Principal Figgins is actually doing something about it. You guys didn't need to take matters into your own hands, not this time."

"Oh. I guess he's having a bad day," says Kurt, feeling slightly guilty thinking about how much force Finn and Blaine put into their attack on Rick.

"But not undeserved. As a parent I can't condone what you two did, yet I can't fault you for it either. Given the opportunity I would have done the same thing. Hell, I secretly wish I could have joined you."

* * *

><p>It takes Rory several days before he starts to feel normal again or at least back to how he was before the disastrous attempt to return to school. That really set him back quite a bit, both in his recovery and in the way his host family treats him. While they've all reluctantly agreed to let him compete in sectionals next week, none of them will actually let him come to practice even when he does start to feel better. Instead Finn and Kurt help him run through the chorus of their sole low key song at home and explain that all he'll have to do is sing and sway in the background. This isn't exactly what would be considered being actively involved in the group. It sucks!<p>

He's really looking forward to the weekend where he can hang out with Finn and feel semi-normal, but to his dismay Finn seems to have alternative plans to head out somewhere with Rachel that Saturday morning.

"Where are you going?" Rory asks glumly as he watches Finn get his stuff together.

"Rachel and I are taking a day trip to Kentucky to convince a former member of Glee club to come back. Even with you and Mercedes back we're still short one member."

Rory perks up at this. So it's not an exclusive romantic retreat.

"Can I come?"

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea. It will be a long trip."

"Please? I'm going stir crazy stuck here all day. I really need to get out and if it's a long trip I'll be sitting down most of the time. I'll be fine."

"No Rory, it's too much of a risk."

"It's not fair, you're always at school or practice and now you're going off on the weekend. Don't you want to hang out with me anymore?"

Saying that is completely playing dirty, but at this point emotional manipulation is the only cards he has left to play. Hopefully Kurt won't find out about it.

"Rory buddy, I'm so sorry. I've just been so busy with sectionals and football, I didn't mean for you to feel neglected." When Finn pulls him into a tight hug Rory knows he's in.

"I thought that by living here we'd get to spend time together," he says in a tiny, miserable voice just to seal the deal.

"Oh Rors you've got to know I want to spend time with you. Of course you can come along. We'll just have to plan carefully so you're not on your feet too long and bring all necessary medical supplies."

Getting his way this time was almost too easy. Finn even lets him ride shotgun on the way over much to Rachel's displeasure as she's been downgraded to the backseat.

"We're going on a road trip across America!" Rory says excitedly as they hit the road.

"Actually Rory, Kentucky is a neighboring state," says Rachel, leaning forward in her seat to speak to him. "This is hardly a cross country road trip."

"Oh." That's disappointing, but it's still exciting to get to see a different part of American besides just Lima. Just getting out of the house at all is a cause for excitement nowadays. Despite Finn's objections he manages to stay awake for the entire three hour trip.

They finally get out at an interesting restaurant that is crowded with older women. The three of them wander around for a few minutes as they wait for the entertainment to come on so they can find this Sam. "I'm going to find a place to sit down," Rory whispers to Finn, feeling the fatigue already starting to creep up on him from standing up for an extended period. A few days ago he would have ignored it, but now he really is trying to keep his promise to Burt.

Finn shoots him an alarmed look seeming to be under the impression that something must be seriously wrong if he's voluntarily admitting weakness.

Just then an announcement comes over the intercom and all the women scream and run towards the stage, causing Rory to abandon his task of finding an empty seat as he takes this in. Is this normal behavior in America? His confusion is quickly mended when male strippers, including a poor guy with the last name of package, come out. All three of them gape open mouthed at this unexpected turn of events.

"Oh god no," whispers Rachel.

"And ladies let's give a warm welcome to White chocolate!"

A blonde guy comes out and pulls off his overalls revealing a very well developed torso. At that moment a hand suddenly flies over Rory's eyes, blocking everything that is happening from sight.

"Rory turn around."

"Oh for god sake Finn, I'm not a child and it's just his abs. It's nothing I haven't seen before." Rory tries to pull away and bat his hand off him, but Finn is stronger than him.

"I'm serious Rory, this is not appropriate. I brought my little brother to a strip club! What is wrong with me?" The two of them continue to struggle.

"He's not your little brother Finn. Will you calm down so we can talk to Sam. I have an idea."

Finn finally removes his hands and Rory is met with the sight of Rachel making her way through the crowd with a dollar for Sam the stripper.

"Rory go sit down and face in the other direction," dictates Finn, indicating a table in the far corner of the room.

He only complies because it's not like he actually _wants_ to watch male strippers thrust their hips. All in all it's probably a good thing that Finn's preventing those images from being permanently burned into his brain, even if he is being embarrassing. It's just Finn being Finn. No harm done, right?

* * *

><p>Before Rachel even came up with the money Sam notices Finn in the audience because he seems to be in some sort of tussle with another boy, drawing immediate attention to himself. In some ways what's going on there interests him more than why Finn and Rachel are here.<p>

Though that's quickly forgotten when he talks to Finn and Rachel backstage where he shamefully explains to them how he got the job and they all but beg him to come back to Lima since they are one member short for sectionals.

During their entire conversation the boy Sam had seen Finn wrestling with in the audience is standing awkwardly by the door. Finally noticing Sam staring at him, Finn grabs him by the arm and pulls him forward.

"Sorry, I should have introduced you guys sooner. This is Rory. He's the newest member of Glee club."

"Hi Sam, nice to meet ya," he says in a thick accent and politely holds out his hand to shake.

"Where's that accent from?"

"Ireland," answers Finn, apparently comfortable with speaking for him. "He's an exchange student and is staying at my place."

"Oh cool, how long have you been living with Finn and Kurt?"

"A little over a week now." Rory's accent is seriously awesome. Sam can't wait to work on an impersonation of it to add to his impression repertoire. If he's also staying with Kurt and Finn he'll get lots of practice.

"So you've only just arrived?"

"No, I was previously staying at the home of Brittney S. Pearce, but I had to move." Rory looks slightly embarrassed so Sam decides not to pry for the details.

Sam takes them to the house that his family is now renting and after a long discussion his parents agree to let him return to Ohio with his friends. Sam is sad at the thought of leaving home, especially his little brother and sister, but also couldn't be happier. It will be so great to no longer be the 'adult' looking after his family and just be a teenager.

"Here Rory, sit down at the table." Finn places his hand on Rory's back and guides him into a chair next to his mom who is prepping for dinner.

There is definitely a very strange dynamic going on between Finn and this new kid. Finn is constantly hovering over him, talking for him and almost never takes his eyes off of him. Finn is also frequently giving him orders and is overly touchy with Rory. What's even weirder is that even though Finn and Rachel are clearly dating again, she seems fine with this bizarre relationship. Sam has no idea what to make of this.

"Rory put it down! Now!" Finn suddenly roars halfway through their conversation about what songs to do for sectionals.

Sam looks over at the table where Rory is sitting with his mom helping to chop vegetables for dinner. Even though Sam doesn't see anything wrong Rory's wearing a guilty deer in the headlight expression.

"Finn its fine. I know how to do this safely," says Rory softly. His cheeks have turned bright red.

"Put the knife _down_! Do not make me pry it from your hands, because I will."

Slowly Rory places the kitchen knife down and backs away from the table. Finn grabs him by the arm and jerks him across to the other side of the kitchen, as if on a mission to put as much distance between Rory and the knife as possible. What on earth is going on between these two?

"Honestly Rory, what the hell were you thinking? Why would you do that? Are you suicidal?" growls Finn.

"No," whispers the new kid looking like he might cry. Sam privately begs him to stand up for himself, but can already tell that that's not going to happen.

"Then why do you keep doing these obviously stupid things? You need to start being smarter about this Rory! I'm starting to feel like I can't turn my back on you for a second anymore. Go to the living room, sit down and stay there!" orders Finn. "Rachel, go with him and just... supervise him."

Sam is completely dumbfounded by what just happened. Finn just yelled at the other boy like he was five year old over something completely benign. Seriously?

"Finn is very, _very _protective of him," whispers Rachel as she passes by him, noting his shocked expression.

"Dude, did you just give your friend a time out?"

"Um, yes. He has hemophilia, so if he cut himself with the knife he wouldn't be able to stop bleeding. You're in a rural area a good deal away from a hospital."

Sam actually lets out a sigh of relief when he hears this. Even if what Finn did is still insane at least they're some logical explanation behind it.

"Yeah, but Finn he's what, 16? You can't just treat your friend like he's a child!"

"He's 14," says Finn defensively, as if that somehow makes it better. "And you don't understand. Two and a half weeks ago he almost died. If you had held him in your arms as he bled uncontrollably on the way to the ER or later when he's delirious with fever, or struggling to breathe, or having a seizure, or if you had a conversation with doctors about how he might not survive the night, you might just feel differently. He's medically fragile and I'm just trying to keep him alive."

Sam is completely taken aback by this information. It sounds like they've all been through quite a bit, so not having gone through it doesn't feel like he's in a position to argue with Finn about this. It's like becoming homeless—it's not a experience you can really understand without having experienced it firsthand. Still that doesn't change the fact that the dynamics between the two of them are completely bizarre. Sam wonders what he's gotten himself into by moving in with them.

* * *

><p>After dinner with the Evans and a stern talk with Rory about not being so reckless when it comes to his personal safety, the four of them hit the road. While he drives Finn keeps a close eye on the time and pulls off to the side of the road by an abandoned field at seven on the dot.<p>

"Why are we stopping?" asks Sam.

"I need to get Rory his medication." While he's still recovering Rory's doctor has him on a strict schedule where he gets a preventative injection of factor every two days. He also has to take a series of pills to combat the aftereffects of his illness, including antibiotics. Finn pulls out all of the bottles from the glove compartment that he brought along and hands them to Rory in the backseat along with a water bottle.

Rory folds into himself with embarrassment as he takes the pills, shooting nervous glances at Sam and Rachel. Finn feels a bit bad for him, but is also glad that Rory is getting a chance to be more open about his condition since that is something he badly needs to work on.

"We didn't have to pull over for this," Rory mumbles, refusing to look any of them in the eye.

"We do for your injection," says Finn as he gets out of the driver's seat. "Sam, could you sit in the front seat for a bit so I can help him?"

"No, not now! I can get it when we get home. Two hours isn't going to make a difference."

"And what if during that time we get into a car crash and you get a bleed? It's not open for debate," says Finn getting out an access kit that contains all the necessary needles and vials of factor from the trunk before climbing into the backseat next to Rory

"Finn we're not doing this right now. We're not!" huffs Rory, crossing his arms and folds over in his seat like a stubborn little kid.

"Rory, let's not make this difficult. Just take off your shirt so we can get this over with. I'll be super gentle." Finn reaches out to playfully ruffles Rory's hair, but to his shock Rory bats him away and recoils away from him.

"Don't touch me! We're not doing this right now Finn. It's my body and I should be able to make my own decisions."

Finn rolls his eyes, exasperated by how childish Rory is suddenly acting.

"Rory come on, be reasonable. You don't get to make these decisions if you can't be smart about it. Whether you like it or not we're doing this. I'll get Sam to help hold you down if I have to." Finn moves to pull Rory's shirt off himself.

"I said NO!" Rory pushes Finn away, grabs the access kit and throws it out of the open door into the field. "Now it's not sterile, so don't bother getting it! Unless you want me getting another infection it will have to wait until we get home."

Finn looks back and forth between the kit out in the field and Rory, trying to process what just happened. It takes him a minute, but once he truly comprehends the magnitude of the situation Rory just put them in he sees red. Rory is actually goading him with his recent brush with death to get his way. Unbelievable.

"Oh my god! Rory, what is wrong with you? That was the _only_ kit we have with us! Now if something were to happen we have nothing! Have you completely lost your mind?"

Why did he only bring one? Stupid, stupid Finn!

"No, have you?"

"Then why the hell are you throwing a tantrum?"

"This is _not _a tantrum. I said no and you wouldn't listen, so I had to find an alternative way to get the point across."

Finn doesn't understand why his sweet Rory is suddenly acting out like this. Could he be sick? His mind jumps to Rory having a fever, since the last time he was this emotionally unstable was when that was the case. Finn reaches out to feel his forehead, but Rory dodges out of the way and raises his arm as if he's prepping to take a swing at him. He's starting to look a lot like a cornered animal.

"Finn, just let it go," says Sam who has been a silent observer up until now. "You're not going to win this one dude and I'm not going to help you force him into something he doesn't want."

Realizing that there is nothing he can do to win this battle right now, Finn reluctantly agrees and once again switches places with Sam.

"Are you okay dude?" Sam asks Rory once they get back on the road.

"Fine," Rory mutters, pulling more into himself than he already is. Sam reaches out to pat his arm and Rory lets out an involuntary yelp of what may or may not be fear. He pushes his body all the way against the door and eyes the handle as if contemplating jumping out of the moving car.

"Rory you're not going to force me to turn on the child safety lock are you?" Finn asks warningly having been watching him carefully from the rearview mirror.

"No," huffs Rory, moving slightly away from the door. He then places his head between his pulled up knees and doesn't speak a word for the remainder of the trip.

What is up with him?

* * *

><p>"Alright Rory, let's get some factor in you," declares Finn as soon as make it back to their Lima house, without even bothering to take the time to first familiarize Sam with his new home.<p>

"I can do it meself," Rory snaps grabbing the supplies from the cabinet they keep them in. He then stalks off to the bathroom before Finn has a chance to protest and locks the door behind him.

For the first time in years it takes Rory several trials before he's able to inject himself because his hands are shaking from rage. This outing with Finn and Rachel had been a complete disaster. Finn completely crossed the line today and had humiliated him beyond imagine.

Once done he dispose the supplies in the sharps container the Hummel-Hudson's now keep in their bathroom before tracking down Finn in their shared bedroom.

"Can I trust that you actually got it in you and didn't fake it?" asks Finn, completely oblivious to Rory's anger.

Rory pulls down the front of his shirt to reveal the fresh pinprick and inflamed skin over his port as proof. He then slams the door shut behind him so that they can have some privacy to talk about what happened today.

"Finn Hudson, I'm very mad at you!"

"What, why?" yelps Finn, acting as though this just came out of nowhere. Is he really that oblivious to what he did?

"Why? Why? All day you've been treating me like I'm two years old and humiliating me in front of this new friend. You won't let me speak for myself or decide when I need a break on my own. You won't let me do anything independently and you yelled at me in front of a bunch of strangers. You yelled at me Finn! And then you tried to give me a time out; actually you didn't just try, you did. I mean, seriously, what the hell?"

"What, Rory come on…"

"And not only that you went and revealed all of my personal details to someone I don't even know. I heard you telling Sam from the living room. You know how important privacy is to me. How could you Finn?"

"Look I'm sorry Rory. I guess some of my behavior today was a little uncalled for. But I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Yeah I know, that's all you've ever been doing. Ever since I got hurt you've been treating me like I'm a little kid and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of it Finn Hudson!" Rory actually kicks the wall as he says this. He might have even taken it further if Finn didn't grab him around the middle and pull him away from the now 'dangerous' wall.

"Whoa Rors, be careful. You'll hurt yourself. Are you okay?"

Up until now Rory has loved the affectionate nickname Finn has given him, but now it just sounds condescending and sets him off even more.

"See! You see what you're doing here? You should be stopping me because I just left a mark on your wall, but instead you're worried about me falling apart from the impact. Worst case scenario it's going to leave a bruise on my foot, but so what? That's not going to kill me. But your constant smoothing just might because it's driving me insane!"

Finn stares at him open mouthed, looking completely shocked.

"And you know what else?" he adds, no longer able to stop his tirade now that he's started. "I do not appreciate that you were going to hold me down and force an injection on me. Do you have any idea how terrifying that is? That's what the doctors kept doing to me in the PICU and I have nightmares about it every night. Every night Finn! You're the person I thought I could trust above all else and then you go and try that." Rory's crying now, despite his best efforts he can't control it now that he's revealed something this personal in his rage.

"You remember that Rory? What else do you remember?" asks Finn quietly.

"Everything! I can remember it all now and it's awful."

"Oh honey, I had no idea. Come here." Finn moves to pull him into a hug, but that's the last thing he wants now. Especially after hearing another pet name, reigniting his anger.

"No! I'm mad at you Finn, don't you get that? Burt's been working with me on expressing my needs, so here goes: I need you to BACK OFF!"

Rory storms out of the room and slams the door behind him. He's greeted by Kurt and Sam standing in the hallway gaping at him, seeming to be halfway though carrying down a spare mattress from the attic when the yelling started.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight Kurt Hummel?"

"Yeah of course. Are you alright Rory? That sounded…heated."

"I'm_ fine_! I'm also really sick of that question," he snaps before storming into Kurt's room and throwing himself face down on his bed.

_To be continued…_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Alright guys, we're now in the home stretch. Either next chapter or the one after is going to be the last one. Because of this could you guys all do me a favor and mention any lose ends that need to be addressed so that I don't overlook anything. Thanks and please review!<strong>_


	14. Chapter 14

_Ahhhh! It has been forever! I am so sorry guys. As I've said before, the grad school schedule is insane and it has only been getting busier. Even in the summer. :P Anyway, thank you for your patience and all the lovely reviews and PM's I've continued to get on a fairly regular basis even without any updates. I'd also like to give a special shout out to the-sketch-book for making some amazing gifs of the story on tumbr and paco_haley for calling them to my attention. It ended up being just the motivation I needed to refocus and force some time into my schedule to start writing again. _

* * *

><p>Finn sits on the floor of his bedroom with his back up against his twin bed, as he tries to process what just happened. Rory yelling at him, and what was revealed when he lost control.<p>

It makes so much sense now. That was why Rory freaked out the way he did when they were in the car. He was already being difficult, but it wasn't until Finn threatened to hold him down that Rory completely lost it. His reaction was motivated by fear in a sort of PTSD stress reaction type of way.

If Rory can remember everything does he also remember the times when _he _was actually assisting to restrain him? Dear god…

"Hey?" Kurt pokes his head through the door, looking hesitant. "Are you okay?"

"I-I think I messed up."

"What happened?" Kurt comes in and sits down on Rory's bed so that he's facing Finn dead on.

"Don't worry about me right now. Go check on Rory."

"In a bit. He needs some time to cool off."

Finn nods dejectedly. They sit in silence for a moment.

"Did you know about this?"

"About what?"

"Rory remembering everything that happened to him when he was so sick."

Kurt bites his lip and gets a far off look on his face.

"How do you know?" he asks at last.

"He told me. So I ask again, did you know about this?"

"I've suspected that for awhile now. I mean, he's said some things in reference to moments that happened during that time period. I just haven't been sure to what extent it is."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I'm worried that bringing it up will make him remember even more. And because he might ask questions and I don't want to talk about it."

Finn tries his best to control his anger at his stepbrother, since he knows that overreacting is what got him into this mess in the first place. Going all the way back to overreacting to Santana's insults to the present conflict.

"You need to go talk to him. He's not going to talk to me right now, please Kurt."

"Sam's in there with him now. It might be a good idea, having someone completely separated from this all talking to him."

* * *

><p>"Rory?" Sam knocks softly on the door and awkwardly steps into Kurt's room and towards the boy he had just met who is on his bed.<p>

"Go away Finn!"

"Oh right…Actually it's Sam, but, um, I'll just go."

"No wait, you don't have to go." Rory rolls over on Kurt's bed so he's no longer face down and stares up at him with his piercing pale blue eyes. "I'm sorry Sam Evans. This is your first day here and already I've turned things into a dysfunctional mess."

"That's okay. I'm kind of used to drama with the Glee club. This is a good induction into the swing of things. Is it okay if I sit down?"

"Yeah," whispers Rory, making no effort to get up from where he is sprawled across Kurt's bed.

"So I'd like to ask if you're okay, but apparently that question is off limits."

"Sorry," he says again.

"Don't be. Is Finn always like that with you?"

"Finn?" Rory repeats as if he's suddenly in some sort of trance, throwing Sam even more off balance than he already feels.

"Oh, uh, if you don't want to talk about what just happened that's okay."

"What did just happen? What did I just do?" he asks in a tiny voice.

"You stood up for yourself. That's a good thing, since it was definitely called for. You really gave it to him too. It was impressive."

Unexpectedly Rory shoots up in bed and is up on his feet, pacing and running a trembling hand through his hair.

"What did I just do?" he asks over and over again.

Sam has no idea how to respond to this, especially when the tremor intensifies and spreads to his entire body and Rory starts breathing in short gasps for air. Could this be a seizure? Finn had mentioned something about that happening to Rory quite recently. Sam also knows that Rory has some sort of significant health problem that he is unfamiliar with. Whatever the case is he is certainly not equipped to deal with this.

"Rory? Dude what's wrong?" Sam helplessly grabs Rory's arm and gives him a slight shake, hoping to somehow snap him out of this fit. Yet it has the exact opposite effect as the tremor and breathing intensify even more and Rory ends up collapsing to the ground.

Sam takes a horrified step back, scared that any further contact with the young teen will make it even worse.

* * *

><p>After Finn had asked Kurt to give him some space and was made to leave his room, Kurt went to retrieve the spare mattress he and Sam had left abandoned in the middle of the hallway after the fight. He is just about halfway down the stairs with it when he suddenly hears Sam's voice call out to him.<p>

"Kurt!"

"Yeah?"

"I think I broke your friend. Help?"

"You what?" Kurt drops the mattress on the spot and comes rushing upstairs and into his bedroom in record time.

Rory's on the floor in a fetal position. His gasps for air as he hyperventilates are only interrupted by hysterical sobs that send spasms down his body. Kurt can see what Sam meant by breaking him, even if it wasn't the best choice of words.

"Jesus Christ Sam, when you said broke I thought you meant like physically. You can't say that here." Kurt kneels down next to Rory and begins soothingly rubbing his back in an attempt to bring him back. He's honestly not surprised to find Rory in such a state given what happened. Rory's always been so committed to not getting in the way or causing a stir that it only makes sense that he would break down after it fully sunk in what he did. Kurt kicks himself for not checking on Rory sooner when he might have been able to stop him from escalating to this point.

"What's happening to him? Is this a seizure?"

"No, panic attack. I've got this Sam."

"Did I cause this? I was talking to him about Finn and suddenly…"

"No Sam, it's okay. This moment has been quite a few weeks in the making. Do you think you could clear out for a bit and give us some space?"

Sam immediately agrees and makes a beeline out the door, clearly relieved to be off the hook. In this moment the poor guy is probably regretting his decision to come back to Lima.

Kurt lies down next to Rory and takes his hand. "Rory, remember what we used to do in the hospital when you had trouble breathing? Look at me sweetie." It takes a minute, but with coaching Rory opens his eye just barely enough to squint at him. "There we go. Now just forget about everything else and just focus on breathing normally. Do it with me, just like last time."

Once Rory's breathing has stabilized he still continues to sob uncontrollably. Kurt holds him in his arms with his face pressed up against his chest and just lets him cry it out so long as he's not hyperventilating, since he knows that the sobs are about a lot more than just Finn. Rory's crying about everything that's happened to him over the past month and all the emotions he's been kept locked away.

"Continue to breathe Rory. Crying is okay, but only if you're breathing normally."

This is far from the first panic attack Kurt's gone through with Rory, but it is the first time without the assistance of supplemental oxygen or sedatives. This time around Kurt has to bring Rory down naturally.

"It's too much," Rory gasps out between sobs. "It's all too much."

Kurt actually starts to sob silently as well, because he's been doing the exact same thing. Pretending that everything's fine, when in reality he's been through what could only be defined as a traumatic experience that he can never not think about. Not counting the moment when the doctor told them Rory might not survive the night this is the first time he's cried about it. There are consequences to being the strong one.

"Why are you crying Kurt Hummel?" Rory finally asks, or maybe only just noticed, over ten minutes into this.

"For the same reasons as you."

"You got into a fight with Finn too?" Kurt has to smile at the ridiculousness of that question. It once again reminds him of Rory's sweet innocence and why he's come to love him so much.

"No silly, but can you honestly tell me the fight is the real reason you are this upset."

"I guess not," Rory sniffs. He furiously wipes away his tears and seems to be doing everything in his power to pull himself together.

"Just let yourself be upset Rory. After everything that's happened to you in the past few weeks you have a pass to not be strong for a little while. Not letting some of it out isn't healthy."

"I've already done that. When I was really sick I was a mess. I wasn't strong."

"That doesn't count because you didn't have any control of how you were reacting then."

Rory gives a dismissive shrug.

"So you really do remember everything that happened that night, huh? For how long?"

"They've been coming back to me in bits and pieces since the day I moved into a regular hospital room. I'm pretty sure I remember most of it now." As Rory says this he purposefully avoids Kurt's eyes.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Cause I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm with you on that one Rory. I have to confess that I've suspected that you've had some memories of it from the very beginning, but never brought it up for the exact same reasons. I should have though, and for that I'm truly sorry. I think both of us are going to have to talk about it at some point though."

"I know." After all of that Rory seems completely emotionally drained and almost numb.

"Do you want to get off the floor?"

Rory shakes his head, though he does sit up and leans up against the bed just as Finn had.

"I'm so mad at Finn."

"I know Rory. I think you expressed that quite well," Kurt says gently.

"It's painful. Being mad at Finn is not a comfortable feeling to have. Feeling this level of anger towards a person you care about and admire hurts."

"What happened in Kentucky? Why are you so mad at him?"

Rory seems on the verge of breaking down into tears again at this question. "He yelled at me in front of a bunch of strangers for holding a knife, basically called me stupid and suicidal and gave me a time out. Then he told Sam everything about my illness without asking if it's okay or giving me a chance to tell him meself. Then he tried to force an injection of factor on me even though I told him no numerous times."

"Well that would do it," Kurt agrees bluntly.

"Plus just the way he's been treating me in general. I understand that he's just trying to take care of me, but Finn has been treating me like I'm a little kid or some invalid not capable of doing anything without help or protection. This is exactly why I prefer to keep my condition a secret."

"That would be tough," Kurt agrees, reaching over to give Rory a side hug. "I guess in some ways it's like coming out of the closet; there are a lot of benefits like safety, but the negative ramifications can be severe."

"What closet are you talking about?"

Rory has such an endearing cluelessness about him in so many matters. Because of this and his natural sweetness Kurt suspects that he would have eventually come to be protective of Rory even if the dodgeball game had never happened. That's just the nature of Rory's personality and youth, and also part of the problem at hand.

"It's just a figure of speech Ror, it means confessing a secret about yourself like being gay or having hemophilia. Anyway I'm very sorry for ever making you feel like a little kid or invalid. I promise to be more self-aware of what I'm doing from now on."

"it's okay, you've never been too bad. I mean you do, but it's always more subtly so and there's always been a line you won't cross."

The undertones of what Rory is saying do not go overlooked.

"You need to talk to him Rory. I know it's not going to be easy, but you are both long overdue for an honest conversation on these matters."

"We are."

"Is it alright if I go get him now?"

"Yeah, okay," Rory says extremely anxiously. Kurt leans over and kisses him softly on the top of his forehead.

"It's going to be okay Rory."

* * *

><p>After Kurt had let him know that Rory was ready to talk, Finn finds himself standing in the doorway of Kurt's bedroom having a stare down with Rory for almost a minute, both of them trying to figure out what to say, before finally coming in and sitting on the floor across from him.<p>

"We have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah," Rory whisper, refusing to meet Finn's gaze.

"First of all I am so sorry for today. When I tried to hold you down and force you into something you didn't want, that really scared you didn't it? That was why you reacted so strongly. Again, I'm so sorry Rory. Had I known what was going on I would never in a million years have done that."

"That wasn't the only reason."

"I know. You don't want to be treated differently because of your disability and today I took things too far. I'm sorry Rory. When I saw you with the knife something inside me snapped. I was scared and couldn't think rationally so I overreacted."

"Yeah you did."

"I'm sorry Rory. I honestly didn't mean to do that. I just wasn't thinking…again."

"I know you didn't mean to Finn Hudson, but you still did."

Finn holds back a sigh of frustration. This is going to be harder than he thought. Over the past few weeks he's gotten too used to the overly compliant Rory who would have accepted any apology without question. Clearly this is not going to be one of those times.

"You have to understand that what happened last month was a once in a lifetime," Rory continues. "Before than I had never been in a situation since diagnosis without access to factor and I've never gotten an injury related infection before. It's not going to happen again. I don't need a protector Finn. I've done just fine on my own before you came along. What I need is a friend or a brother, not a 24/7 bodyguard and mother hen."

For a few minutes Finn just stands quietly and takes it, since he knows that Rory has a lot to let out and that he does deserve a lot of the flack. Yet after a while Finn has to speak up in his defense.

"The way you go out of your way to hide problems and are in denial about your condition makes that hard. I can't just ease up on looking after you if you aren't going to look after yourself."

"I'm working on that. It's hard for me, but I really am trying. As for the second I'm not in denial. I know I'm different and I know my limits. Obviously I don't always stick with them, like with the dodgeball game, but for the most part I'm good about it. Also I did speak up in the hospital. I told you when I wasn't feeling well."

"By which point you had a fever of 105. I'm sorry Rory, but that doesn't entirely count. Especially since you wouldn't have gotten as critically ill if you had done so earlier in the day."

As he says that Finn comes to the realization that a small part of him has been harboring a grudge against Rory for putting him through that horrific experience as a result.

He's been holding in a lot of anger. Anger at Rory. Anger at Mercedes, Santana and Brittney. Now anger at Kurt for not mentioning his suspicious sooner, but most of all anger at himself. For starting the game, not treating Rory right, handling the situation so poorly and not realizing how sick Rory had been until it was almost too late. That's what it comes down to in the end. Finn hadn't picked up on the signs that Rory was in trouble so in order to make sure that never happens again he's been smothering him to the point of suffocation.

He can remember the moment that Burt told him that Rory may not make it so vividly. It was like someone had just pulled the floor out from under him and stabbed him in the gut at the same time. Finn remembers how he couldn't stop screaming and how people were staring but he couldn't stop. How desperate he had been to get back to Rory and how Burt had held him around the middle as he struggled and stated over and over again that he can't go back until he's calm. Rory isn't the only one who's been having nightmares.

"I am truly sorry for that Finn," Rory says, seeming to pick up on what Finn is thinking. "At first I honestly believed that it was just the flu and that it was just unfortunate timing. I didn't say anything because I didn't think it was relevant. As I started to feel sicker and sicker and realized that I was in trouble I told you. I told you Finn, don't you get that? If I didn't care for my well-being or have self advocacy skills I never would have and you guys wouldn't have realized what was going on until I was passed out or having seizures."

Finn pauses for a moment, taking this in. "You were having seizures though Rory. During that first night in the PICU when we almost lost you so many times." It seems like a semi-random thing to bring up, but he's not sure how else to respond.

"I know Finn, I remember. Not that part specifically, but most of that night I can."

"You know that all the times we held you down it was done it was completely necessary, don't you Rory?"

Rory shrugs.

"Well it was. I promise you I would have never allowed them to do any of that to you, or participated in it if it hadn't been a matter of life and death. Even though I threatened you with that earlier in the car, that was just out of frustration. I don't think I would have really done it, especially if I had gotten to see how much it scared you."

"That wasn't the only time you had threatened to do that though. In the hospital, right before I was moved out the PICU you said you would hold me down and force feed me if I didn't eat."

"Rory honey, I was joking. I was just teasing you Rors. I thought it would make you laugh." Finn is completely floored to learn that this one moment of fooling around has been something that Rory has been carrying around with him as a haunting memory and as a possible subject in his nightmares. Poor kid. Rory has always struggled with non-literal language and this one instance had heartbreaking results. Finn feels terrible.

"Maybe we should go back to our bedroom to continue this conversation and give Kurt his room back."

Rory immediately hesitates. "Emm, yeah, okay, I guess we could do that."

He turns his head away as he does so, but Finn is still able to detect the slight whimper that Rory lets out as he gets up from the floor.

"Rory, are you okay?"

Slowly he shakes his head. "Um, this is really embarrassing given the conversation we just had, but, em, you were right about kicking the wall…."

"Is it okay if I take a look?"

Once Rory gives a slight nod Finn helps Rory sit down on Kurt's bed before taking off his shoe and sock. A purple and black bruise is already visible across half of his foot and his ankle is signficantly swollen. It looks like he's bleeding into his joint again. Finn takes a deep breath and slowly counts to ten to calm himself so that he doesn't act on instinct and yell at Rory or be in any way critical of him for causing this injury.

"That doesn't look good," he says at last. "Does it hurt pretty bad?"

Rory nods again as he blushes furiously. Finn lightly touches his ankle and can feel all the excess fluid accumulating around his joint.

"I think we're going to have to get that drained Rors. Since our parents are out for the night would you prefer if Kurt took you in?"

"No, em, I'd like it to be you, if that's okay."

More than okay, Finn is absolutely delighted to hear that he hasn't completely destroyed their relationship.

_To be continued..._


	15. Chapter 15

_Hey all, I know that a fair number of you have already found me on tumblr (I'm under the same name), so I decided to use it a bit to add to the story. On it you'll find the story gifs by Scott, a few informational pieces on hemophilia and I'm finally succumbing to peer pressure and have shared a small piece of my personal experience with this subject matter/where the story comes from._

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><p>It's well into the evening at this point so simply going in to see his doctor to take care of non-life threatening injuries is not an option as it normally is during the daytime. Instead Rory's going to have to go in through the Emergency Room to get this taken care of. It's going to be a long night, all because of his stupid ankle caused by his stupid body choosing to betray him just when Rory was trying to make a point.<p>

Upon making the discovery of this bodily betrayal Finn hails Kurt and Sam to help get Rory downstairs and into the car for the trip over. Rory won't even allow himself to look at Sam during this time. After showing him all of worst qualities back to back all within hours of first meeting Rory doesn't even want to contemplate what Sam must think of him.

Before they head off Kurt leans into the passenger seat and whispers "Are you sure your okay with this hon? I can come with you guys."

"It's fine. I appreciate that Kurt, but I'm hoping that having this time to chat more will be beneficial. It's not like I'm in any danger anyway."

"All right. I'll have my phone at arm's reach at all times. If you ever change your mind for whatever reason you shoot me a text and I will be over there within minutes no matter how late it is."

"Thanks, but we'll be okay."

Despite his assurances he and Finn sit in uncomfortable silence for much of the drive over. Finn keeps glancing over at him looking like he's about to say something and then changes his mind.

"Go ahead, I know you're thinking it. Just say it," Rory sighs after the third time he sees this happen.

"Okay, um…I know this might not be the best time to bring this up, but… if you claim to be working on not hiding medical problems than why did you hide this one?"

"I did not!" he growls, his recently activated temper quickly firing back up.

"It's been almost an hour since the injury happened and you just now said something and not fully on your own accord. I'm sorry Rors, but you did."

"No I didn't! I wasn't intentionally hiding it because I was otherwise occupied and didn't notice it right away. Even then I didn't realize it was serious enough to need attention until I stood up."

"Seriously? That ankle currently looks more painful than the worst football injury I've ever gotten and you're trying to tell me you didn't notice? Come on, if you're going to lie at least make it believable."

"I am not lying! Will you just listen to me for a second?"

Finn lets out a sigh and unexpectedly pulls to the side of the road. He then turns to face Rory, giving him his full attention.

"That's what I'm trying to do. So shoot, what is it you want to say?"

Rory had prepared himself to start yelling again, sure that Finn wasn't going to listen to him anyway. Yet with this one simple action Finn managed to extinguish the anger that was beginning to rekindle inside him. Based on the way Finn is looking at him now he really does seem to care about what he has to say regarding this matter, or at least is trying to, and therefore deserves an explanation.

"Finn, have you ever considered that the way I perceive pain might be different from most people? I've been getting needles injected into me twice a week since I was a baby and at any given moment I have at least one deep, painful bruise. For my entire life I've constantly been conditioned to ignore pain, so if something happens I'm not always going to notice it right away. Also it's probably safe to assume that the worst injury you've ever gotten wouldn't even come close to being on my greatest hits; it's not fair to assume we're on the same pain scale. So when I tell you I didn't notice something you should at least consider that I'm telling the truth."

"I hadn't thought of that. Okay, that's fair. I'll take your word on that this time. But… you can't tell me that this was the case every time this has happened."

This is exactly the reason he wanted to just go with Finn. Had Kurt come along Finn never would have expressed this annoyance and instead of talking it through he would just act on it through further overprotection.

"I know. I know I have gone out of my way to hide things before and the consequences were severe and that puts you in a tough position," Rory says somewhat defeatedly. "Burt says it's become this vicious cycle where the more I hide problems the more you guys baby me and the more you guys baby me the more I feel the need to hide things. That's why I've been trying to break it but-"

"With me not on the same page it's turned into a bit of a train wreck," Finn finishes for him. It's probably a good thing that they got into this fight after all.

Finn gets them back onto the road and within minutes they are pulling into the ER parking lot. Finn then gets a wheelchair and allows Rory to get in it with minimal assistance. They are definitely making progress.

"Come on buddy, its hospital time."

"Boo!"

As they go to check in at the front desk and explain to the nurse what the problem is, Rory can vaguely recall being in the exact same location in Finn's arms weeks ago. Vaguely. He wonders what this must be like for Finn to be back in this position having been fully conscious and aware of what was happening the first time around, thus having memories that are fully intact.

"How did this happen?" the nurse asks in a bored voice, snapping Rory out of his thoughts.

"He kicked a wall pretty hard about 40 minutes ago."

"This is just from that. Seriously?"

"Did you not hear what I said a minute ago? Hemophilia! It can take a lot less than-"

"Actually," Rory interrupts. "Eh, not long after that I fell and didn't land right."

"How did you fall Rors?"

Rory turns bright red at this question. He leans over and whispers so only Finn can hear. "I was kind of… freaking out a bit and had another… spell."

Finn gives him a small nod in confirmation. Having the occasional panic attack every few months has been something that has plagued Rory for years. His Ma says that they are a direct result of the loss of control he often feels associated with his illness, which is ironic because having one is the very definition of losing control.

"What happened?" asks the nurse bruskly, annoyed that they are keeping her in this conversation longer than is needed.

"He's embarrassed to say that he's so clumsy that he tripped over his own feet," says Finn. Rory could just about hug him for saying that and giving him an easy, yet believable out. He really is trying now.

"Go take a seat in the waiting area. You're non-urgent so you have a bit of a wait ahead of you."

* * *

><p>"Ahhhhhh, I can't believe we have to wait! I guess I was just expecting to be seen right away like last time," Finn moans as they take a seat on a hard bench in the waiting room. Yet at the same time he's somewhat relieved to be in an unfamiliar area of the ER, one that is not associated with recent unpleasant memories. He now wishes he had taken Rory to the other hospital in Lima across town. Out of the way yes, but less painful.<p>

"It's always tough when it happens at night," Rory says apologetically. "Normally I can just go in to see my doctor and have it taken care of right away, but after six I'm at the mercy of the A&E, eh I mean ER. My Da's always told me that if I want to do anything crazy like wrestle with my brother, play footie, dance or be me clumsy self I better as hell do it between 9am and 6pm or else we'll all have a miserable night."

"You wrestle with your brother?" That's somewhat of an alarming thought! Yet having gotten to know Rory as well as he has this month, not totally unexpected.

Rory grins at this. "Sometimes," he says mischievously. "Me and Seamus used to do it in secret when we were little for the thrill of doing something were weren't supposed to; then one night we both got hurt and had to do double hospital trip. Mammy just about murdered us. He has it too, you know, my brother Seamus. We both like to push boundaries a bit."

How was it that Finn didn't know that? That seems like such a crucial piece of information about Rory that he hadn't been aware of. Come to think of it, he really doesn't know anything about Rory's family or his life back in Ireland.

"Wow. Your poor mother!"

"That we're both sick?" asks Rory softly, looking hurt by the suggestion.

"No, that she has to deal with both of you. If he's half as stubborn and manipulative as you are I don't know how she does it. You're enough of a handful as it is."

"Hey, who says I'm manipulative?" Rory asks with a sudden pout, which all but confirms the claim.

"Kurt did last week. I didn't believe him at first, but now I'm definitely starting to see his point. Anyway, how old is your brother Seamus?"

"He just turned eleven," says Rory with a content smile at the mere mention of him.

"Do you miss him?"

"Every day. I miss having someone else who is in the same position as me. I miss not having to be the odd one out and to just have someone who understands. Plus I just miss _him_. He's an awesome brother. You are too Finn. Overly intense and at times annoying yes, but nevertheless pretty awesome."

Finn grins wildly at this. It doesn't necessary mean that all is yet forgiven, but they are certainly getting there.

For the next half hour Finn asks Rory more about his family and life back in Ireland. During this time he learns about the Catholic school that Rory attended, his close friendship with his cousins, and the drastically different attitudes each of his parents has towards their sons' condition. It's interesting to hear that he and Kurt have been beginning to fall within a similar pattern.

Once a group of people from the waiting room is called back Finn is able to claim an old couch that would allow Rory to stretch out and put his leg up. As soon as Finn sits down next to him Rory leans up against him. From this and Rory's expression alone Finn can tell that he's exhausted.

"Do you think we'll have to wait much longer?" asks Finn once they settle in.

"Probably. Like they said, this isn't technically an emergency. I'm not exactly seen as a high priority."

"Well you should be! I'm going to go talk to them again." Finn moves to get up.

"Please don't Finn. Please? It will just lead to a scene that will embarrass us both and won't make any difference other than pissing them off. Don't do that to me."

Finn sighs and sits back down. He gets the feeling that Rory is testing him right now to see if he follows his wishes and avoid being a "mother hen". It kills him, but for the sake of their currently fragile relationship he has to let it go.

"Good, you stay where I can keep an eye on you," Rory jokes. "Let's just watch TV."

Neither the 'keeping an eye on' or 'watching' actually happen since within minutes Rory falls asleep on Finn's shoulder. Finn actually has to hold back a chuckle when he realizes what happened. That's one way to guarantee that he's not going to get up and throw a scene if he physically can't. Kurt was absolutely on to something with his claim of Rory's extreme manipulative tendencies.

Then again, it might not have been fully intentional since there is no denying that Rory is completely wiped out from the fight, panic attack and extended crying spell. That combined with the day trip to Kentucky being the longest time he's been up and about since getting sick likely left it almost impossible for him to stay awake. Plus it has only been a little under two weeks since getting out of the hospital and just a few days since the concussion. With all that in mind Finn is amazed that Rory was able to stay awake for as long as he did.

He gets a lot of stares from passersby, causing him to wonder what they must think of the nature of their relationship. Finn finds that he really doesn't care what they think.

About two Simpsons episodes later (and still no word from hospital staff) Finn suddenly feels Rory's body tensing up. Rory's hand moves to Finn's leg and grips tightly.

"Hey sleeping beauty did you have a good nap? I'm glad you're awake cause my arms starting to fall asleep, but I didn't want to move you," he rambles.

"Finn?" asks Rory tensely once he appears to be fully awake.

"Yeah buddy?"

"It's really starting to hurt now." Rory's voice cracks as he says this.

"Okay, okay. Shit. Can I at least talk to the nurses about getting you some pain medicine?"

"Please do, you can even throw a scene if you want to. Just make it stop," Rory whimpers, looking slightly tearful.

Throwing a scene is almost what ends up happening, as the staff members he talks to are pathologically unhelpful, repeating on monotone that he'll be fine and will just have to tough it out.

"No seriously, he has a chronic illness that leads to daily discomfort so he has a very high pain tolerance. If he says it hurts, it must really _really_ hurt. Toughing it out has been what he's been doing for the past two hours and now it's gotten too much. You have to do something!"

"We can't give patients anything until a doctor sees them sir. Otherwise we'd get people who just come in to get high."

"Please just look at him. He's my little brother, you have to help him. I can't stand to see him in this much pain."

The emotional appeal associated with calling him his little brother gives him more authority than just friend or host brother. A grandmotherly looking nurse finally glances over to where Rory lays on the beat up couch fighting back tears. He can almost hear her icy demeanor melting at the sight.

"I'll see what I can do."

_To be continued…_

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><p><em>Shortfluffy chapter, but more shall follow soon. I'm on a two week break!_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Yeah, it's been awhile once again. I'm sure at this point you all know my excuses so I will just refer you to previous chapters if anyone wants them. :)**_

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><p>Not long after Finn went all 'scary big brother' on the hospital staff, Rory finds himself curled up on a stretcher in the middle of the ER hallway. They still don't have any rooms available for non-life threatening cases, but Finn somehow managed to convince them to start treating him anyway. At the moment 'treatment' just involves a child's dose of Tylenol and an ice pack, things he could have gotten at the Hudmel house hours ago, but at least it's better than nothing as they wait for a doctor to get a spare moment.<p>

The pain really is excruciating. It feels like his leg is caught between two boulders that are continuously getting heavier with each passing minute. That isn't completely inaccurate of what is really happening since as time progresses small amounts of blood continue to pool into his joint, thus increasing the pressure on it. That can be one of the most annoying things about internal bleeds—they always start out so minor in a way that is easily overlooked, but doing so always leads to unpleasantness such as this. Under normal circumstances Rory is usually able to spot the warning signs and give himself an extra injection of factor to stop the bleeding before any damage can be done. But when that occurs under the confines of a fight and panic attack…not so much.

Now the pain has reached a level that even he can't handle. A fresh stab of sharp pain suddenly radiates up his entire leg, forcing Rory to curl up into a fetal position and bite down on his shirt to keep himself from screaming in pain. Even so there's nothing he can do to stop the hot tears from spilling out and onto his cheeks.

"Oh Rors," Finn breathes out, looking panic stricken and helpless. "What can I do to help you? I need to do _something_. Would you be okay with me getting on the bed and just holding you? It's worked in the past, but I don't want to overstep any boundaries."

"Okay. I-I'll try anything." He tries to act all tough about it, but in truth there is nothing in the world he wants more right now than for Finn to just hold him and tell him that everything's going to be okay. And that's exactly what he gets.

Rory decides not to fight Finn's need to baby him right in this moment. Now that it's out there in the open that he remembers all the times Finn held him, rocked him and babied him there really is no point in pretending it didn't happen. So now that he's back in the hospital exhausted and in pain he might as well take advantage of the perks that come with being Finn's adopted little brother.

Burt told him that Finn loves him, and whether that's true or not Rory certainly loves Finn. In some ways their fight even helped with that. It's not just the blind hero worship love of the guy on YouTube having a make out session with his girlfriend on stage, its love for the real Finn flaws and all. This Finn is way better than any YouTube star anyway; for starters this one comes with cuddles. It might not help to lessen the pain itself, but having Finn pressed up next to him, rubbing his back and speaking soothing reassurances does help make it easier to deal with.

* * *

><p>"You're doing great Rory. Really, really great. Just a few more minutes and they'll get you something stronger. And if not there will be hell to pay," Finn repeats over and over again, desperate to say or do anything to lesson his pain.<p>

While Kurt had mentioned that Rory had been crying earlier today after their fight, he personally has not seen Rory cry in any capacity since he was last in the hospital delirious with fever. To have it happen again, especially now that they are back in the hospital, is just heartbreaking to witness. `In some ways this is even more so than his delirious style of crying when he was very vocal about his pain and misery. Now Rory is doing everything in his power to repress it, but still can't stop the silent tears from falling or the sporadic involuntary gasps of pain. Each gasp serves as a blunt reminder of just how badly he messed up in his assigned task of protecting Rory.

The stretcher they put him on is out in the hallway just across from the original room they put him in when they first brought Rory into the ER weeks ago. Finn is just steps away from where he and Kurt had there initial hall conversation and where he had spoken with the police officer. Finn focuses all his energy on keeping himself from looking and to instead focus on Rory in the here and now instead of his injured ghosts from the past.

Does Rory realize where they are? Probably not, since he eyes are screwed tightly shut in pain and he doesn't seem to be able to focus on anything else.

As Finn ponders on this cruel irony the nurse he had spoken too earlier finally reappears.

"You're a very lucky kid!" she declares cheerfully, completely oblivious to the amount of pain Rory is actually in right now. "The ER doctor I just spoke to recognized the name Rory Flanagan. Apparently he had treated you for a similar issue just a few weeks ago. He gave me permission to give you something for the pain and wants to know what the heck you've been up to that keeps bringing you back here."

"Just bad luck ma'am," Rory manages to whimper out.

"Okay honey, I'll go get you some stronger medicine and more ice in a second, but first I was told to ask if you've had any factor yet."

"He had just taken a daily prophylaxis dose right before it happened and we gave him a second injection before coming in. His levels should be at about 55% right now, but if the doctor thinks he needs more he's type B and will need factor IX," Finn rattles off expertly, just as Rory had done on their first ER trip. He's learned a lot in the past few weeks—so much so that he's probably learned more about Hemophilia this month than he has in any academic areas in a typical year.

"I assume that would be enough." She assumes? Not good enough!

"Could you check?"

"I will in a second," the nurse scowls at him. "First why don't I give your brother an injection of oxycodon? I see on his chart that he has a port installed so I can do it that way." Rory moves to start taking off his shirt in preparation, but Finn immediately stops him.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute. Can you give me your 100% guarantee that it can be done sterilely within an ER hallway full of sick people?"

"Well nothing is 100%..."

"Then you are not coming anywhere near his port. Give it to him some other way."

After more discussion she finally agrees to inject it into his arm as a shot, which she does robotically before huffing away.

"You were being very difficult Finn Hudson," whispers Rory.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be, but I just can't risk you getting another infection."

"Sometimes it has to be done. She didn't really seem to know what she was doing. Thanks."

Finn can't help but grin at this. He was so sure that Rory was going to yell at him for overdoing it. "No problem buddy." As he says this Finn gives Rory a squeeze and wraps his arms around him even tighter than before, yet as soon as he does Rory lets out a muffled scream and pulls away from his embrace with a surprising amount of force.

"Oh my god, Rory did I hurt you?" Finn sits upright, horrified at the very thought of causing Rory any more pain than he is in already.

Rory lets out a shudder. "No, just, I don't know. I just got scared all of a sudden. I'm sorry. I-I'm not sure what just happened. "

That's weird. Why would Rory be scared? Unsure what else to do Finn places a gentle hand on Rory's shoulder. However as soon as he does so Rory lets out a small yelp and jerks away.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I don't know what's wrong with me," he chokes out again between heavy breathing. Normally Finn would be offended, but then realizes that Rory isn't even looking at him. He's staring off into the corner…towards the room he was put in last time. Rory seems to have noticed where they are.

"Rors, I want you to look away. Look anywhere else Rory. Look at me." Rory obeys and instantly starts to look a bit calmer. "No one is going to hold you down or restrain you in any way. You're not going to have anything done to you without your permission and we're breaking out of here as soon as you get that drained. This isn't the same as last time Rory, not even remotely."

It's interesting that this issue would pop up again since before today none of them had been aware that fear of restraint has become a phobia for Rory. At least within the context of a medical setting or procedure. How on earth are they going to deal with this given that both are unavoidable for him? They had all been so sure that Rory was fortunate not to remember anything, yet the events of today have now made it very clear that his experiences while sick have left some psychological damage.

"Are you doing okay now?" Finn asks gently once it appears that Rory is fully calm.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Finn. That was weird. I'll blame it on temporary insanity caused by the pain and beginning affects of the drug. You can lie down again if you want….just….just keep your arms loose if you put them around me."

* * *

><p>As the wait continues Finn unexpectedly feels Rory's body begin to shake. At first Finn is alarmed, thinking that either the pain has become too much for him or Rory is panicking about being held down again. Yet within a matter of seconds realizes that the opposite is true as Rory is shaking with laughter.<p>

"We're in the hospital," Rory slurs out between giggles. It looks like the shot has finally kicked in. About time too!

"That we are buddy," Finn confirms.

Rory doesn't reply as he becomes preoccupied with his hands. He holds them up between his face and fluorescent light while flicking his fingers, seeming to enjoy the effect.

"Are you feeling better Rors?"

"I'm feeling fuzzy."

"Well I guess it's better than the alternative," Finn smiles, running a hand through Rory's hair.

"There were people in the waiting room bleeding. There is always a lot of blood. Lots of red. Except the platelets and plasma. That's yellowish. So really it's only the red blood cells that are red. Factor isn't any color; it's all white and powdery. What's your favorite color? Mine is red like blood, but everyone thinks it's green. Did you know that leprechauns aren't real? Santa isn't real either, but he still brings present for me. I hope I get some for Christmas. Did you know that-"

"Rory," Finn cuts in, already exhausted by trying to follow Rory's random train of thoughts. "Would you like me to call Kurt so you can talk to him?"

"Ya!" yells drugged out Rory with way too much enthusiasm, but it is adorable nonetheless.

Kurt picks up the phone on just the second ring: "Hey Finn is everything okay?"

"We're fine." Well, sort of. "I'm calling because I'm once again experiencing the joy of Rory high on a large dose of narcotics and didn't want you to miss out on the fun."

Finn turns his phone on speaker before handing it to Rory so he can enjoy the full effect of what is likely to be an interesting conversation.

"Kuuuuurrrrt!" Just about everyone in the hallway looks up and stares at them as Rory yells this into the phone.

"Well hello Rory-bear. I take it that you're feeling better now?"

"Are you with Sam? Did you know that he has fantastic abs? You should make him take off his shirt and look at them."

Really? That's where Rory's mind goes to first? Really?!

"That's okay, I've seen them before. But, uh, thanks for the tip, I guess…"

"He's a stripper. Sam the stripper," Rory says in a singsong voice. "Finn took me to a strip club, you know. I'm going to remember those images for…_ever_!" Rory breaks down into giggles.

"That's nice Rory. I'm sure he did."

"No really. Its true Kurt Hummel, this really happened. Sam is made of white chocolate. Did you know there was a guy whose last name was Package? America is so weird. And there was so much women and craic and-"

"Crack did you say?" Kurt's tone now turns serious.

"Yeah, the women were having so much craic over the men!"

"They were doing what?" asks Finn, picturing cougars snorting cocaine off of the young men's abs.

" Oh Finn wants the phone back now. Byyyyyeeeee. Say hi to Sam the stripper for me!" Rory half yells as Finn wrestles the phone away from him. That conversation really took a turn.

"Wow, that must be some seriously strong stuff they gave him," laughs Kurt. "He's never been that imaginative while on it before."

"Uh, I'm afraid to tell you that apart from some confusion about stage names, everything Rory said actually happened. Except for the crack part, unless of course he saw something I didn't… God I hope not."

"Awesome, so he's been living in the Hudmel household for less than two weeks and already you've taken him to a drug ridden strip club. His parents will be delighted."

Finn would have said more to defend himself, but out of the corner of his eye he notices Rory slowly starting to ease himself off of the stretcher.

"Listen I have to go. It looks like Rory might be ready to make a run for it on his injured leg. I'll call you when I have news to give and I'm sorry you had to find out about Sam's current profession the way you did. Bye. And just where do you think you're going mister?" That last comment is directed at Rory who is now fully standing up on his uninjured leg with the support of the stretcher.

"Ta go look at that." Rory points at nothing in particular further down the hallway.

"No you're not. Get back on the bed Rory. I mean it." Finn has the impression that dealing with drugged out Rory is probably what it feels like to be the father of an excitable young child. It's a good thing he never actually got Quinn pregnant.

"I'm going to puke now Finn Hudson," Rory suddenly declares matter of factly.

"Wait what?"

Finn doesn't have time even have time to process this as Rory begins to retch and gag. Shit! Finn acts on instinct sitting Rory upright and holds him over the stretcher just in time for Rory to throw up all over the hospital floor. He had forgotten how large doses of narcotics frequently made Rory nauseous while he had been staying in the hospital, only then he wasn't eating anything.

"Yucky," says Rory cutely once he's finished.

"I'm sure it was yucky," Finn agrees as he hails a nurse and pushes the stretcher further down the hall away from the mess.

"I feel funny," he whines.

"Poor Rory. How's your ankle?"

"S'good," Rory mumbles, going back to playing with his fingers, before adding: "I wanna go home."

"Soon buddy, real soon. Alright come here." Finn gets back on the bed and gently wraps his arms around Rory once again. "Just don't puke on me okay? Brotherly love only goes so far."

"I love ya too."

* * *

><p><em><strong>So the boys are still stuck in the ER trip from hell. Tune in next time to find out if they ever make it out alive. And as always: To be continued…<strong>_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Alright silverpanda, one day after you issued your proposition I delivered with the longest chapter in the past two months. Your turn! Now you all know how competitive I can be and that issuing challenges might be a good strategy for getting me to post faster.**_

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><p>"I'm so, so,<em> so<em> bored! Can we go check out another room? There's nothing to do in this one," whines Rory once again. They've finally been moved into an actual hospital room, but drugged out Rory is not impressed. Nor is Finn, but only because Rory still hasn't been seen by a doctor. Also his patience for Rory's bizarre state is quickly starting to waiver. Rory was never this bad the last time he was in the hospital was he?

The curtain that divides their room starts to open causing Finn to expectantly rush forward to greet the doctor. He is both disappointed and pleasantly surprised to discover that it's actually Kurt.

"Dude! Oh my god bro, what are you doing here?" Finn quickly embraces his step brother and then steps aside to allow him to go give Rory a big hug. Rory visibly lights up at his other 'brothers' appearance and lets out what can only be described as a squeal of excitement.

"I just couldn't wait any longer. I've just been so worried about him. I know Rory's had a tough day already and must be in a lot of pain to need as much pain killers as he was given. I know we agreed a while ago that if regular hospital visits became a thing we needed to divide and conquer, but not this time. Maybe not ever."

"Well I'm very happy to have you here Kurt and I'm sure you can tell Rory is too." It really is a big relief to have him here. At first Finn was convinced that alone time with Rory was essential, but Kurt's arrival instantly relieved a nagging anxiety he hadn't even been aware of until it was gone. Rory's parents had advised them early on that the 'divide and conquer' technique was the only way to protect your mental health when dealing with a family member with a chronic illness, but at least for now the opposite is true for them.

"I left 'Sam the stripper' at home. I felt bad doing so on his first night but he understands. Besides I didn't want to bring him cause I was worried Rory might get over excited," he jokes.

"Is Sam coming?!" Rory perks up even more at the mention of Sam's name.

"Fraid not hon. You'll see him at home."

"Aw!" Rory pouts.

"Do you have a bit of a crush Rory?" teases Kurt.

"No! But… he _is_ really interesting. I like his abs a lot."

"So we've heard." Rory definitely seems to have slight man-crush.

"Anyway I brought you something way better than an underage stripper." As he says this Kurt reaches into his shoulder bag and pulls out a familiar stuffed horse.

"Bullseye!" Rory squeals again as he snatches it out of Kurt's hands and holds the toy close. "I love you Kurt. I love you, I love you, I love you!"

"He loves everything tonight," says Finn with a smile.

"Nuh uh! I just love my family and you guys. And Bullseye. I love you so much." They're not sure if that last statement was directed at them or the stuffed animal.

"Hey Finn, how long has it been since Rory was given the pain medicine?" Kurt whispers after pulling him aside. He looks worried.

Finn glances down at his watch. "Oh wow, it's been almost a half hour now. That's not normal for him is it?" They both steal an anxious glance over at Rory who is currently rubbing the fur of Bullseye's mane between his fingers with a look of intense concentration.

"Not at all. The loopiness always went away after ten minutes, fifteen tops. I don't like this. Was there something different about this one? A different type of medicine maybe?"

"No, he's gotten it before. The nurse did inject it into his arm muscle instead of his port so that could be it. Maybe it's just getting released into his system slower this way."

"Maybe," Kurt looks unconvinced as he goes to sit on the edge of Rory's hospital bed. "Hey Rory-bear, can I look you over for a second?"

"Hi Kurt Hummel!" his voice is a bit slurred. Between that and the thickened accent he's difficult to understand.

"How are you feeling sweetie?"

"I feel foggy. Are we going home now? I wanna go home."

"Once a doctor is able to drain your ankle, but soon." Finn had already answered that question not that long ago. Is this just Rory being difficult, or does he truly not remember?

"Can I look at those beautiful blue eyes of yours? Open them real wide for me." Kurt leans in close and examines each of Rory's trademark pale eyes. "His pupils are tiny. Dilated pupils—that's a sure sign that he's still quite high."

"My bed isn't that high. I bet I could get down if I wanted to," Rory mumbles.

"No you are not. We've already talked about this Rory. You aren't getting out of bed."

"You're so silly Finn Hudson."

"In this moment not as silly as you Rors."

Kurt tries to get Rory to track his moving finger with his eyes, but is totally unsuccessful as Rory keeps getting distracted and looking elsewhere.

"Something feels wrong about this," says Kurt. "I'm going to go see if I can find someone who might know what's going on."

Once Kurt disappears Rory continues rambling on voicing every random thought that pops into his head. As much as it pains him to admit it even to himself, Finn really is starting to get annoyed at Rory. It was cute at first, but after a half hour of the nonstop chatter and whining it's just become an irritation. He supposes that this must be part of what being a big brother is like—it can't be all love and affection all the time. Sometimes it's about having the intense desire to shove a sock in the younger ones mouth. Crap, he really hopes Kurt isn't right about something being wrong, or else he's going to feel like a complete jackass for feeling this way.

Kurt impressively returns with an elusive doctor who gives Rory a quick examination before looking at his ankle. Rory giggles, chats and over shares with him the whole time.

"Yeah, I agree with your prognosis that it's a joint bleed that needs to be drained. Unfortunately that's not something I've ever done before so we'll have to call in an orthopedic consult." Finn and Kurt both groan at the prospect of waiting for yet another doctor. "Now as far as your other concern he does seen, well…off. Let me look at his chart to see if there was anything out of the ordinary with the injection he was given."

As the doctor looks over the paperwork his expression turns serious. Every curse word Finn knows starts running through his brain as he witnesses this. Not only is he terrified what this might mean for Rory, he truly is a complete jackass.

"It looks like an error was made and he was given twice the amount that is normally given for someone of his age. It's still within the safe limits though so it's not an overdose, just overkill."

Finn knew that nurse didn't know what she was doing. Thank goodness he didn't let her access his port or they might be dealing with far more serious side effects than just vomiting and a getting irritated at over excitable Rory. Regardless there will be some serious ass-kissing for yet another screw up. Yet Kurt is already a step ahead of him.

"You mean you guys got our little brother high as a kite for no reason?!" snarls Kurt, filling the role that is normally Finn's. "We've taken him to this ER twice now and each time someone made a mistake at his expense. This is completely unacceptable."

"Can we go fly a kite? Let's go do that!"

"No honey. Just lie back down, okay?"

"But I want to! Why won't you ever let me do anything fun?" Rory starts tearing up as he says this, forcing Kurt to take the doctor out in the hall to continue the exchange of heated words so that Finn can calm Rory down. The last thing they want is Rory having another one of his panic attacks over not getting to fly a kite in the middle of the night. Not only would it be ridiculous to deal with, but Rory might legitimately die from embarrassment once the drugs wear off.

"It's okay Rors. I know things haven't been very fun for you lately, but if you're good we'll do anything you want tomorrow."

"I wanna practice for sectionals with Glee Club!"

Finn sighs. They do indeed have a specially scheduled rehearsal session tomorrow in order to perfect the dance moves for Wednesday's competition. If it were up to him Rory would not be participating in it at all, but after the promises he made post fight that may not be an option. Fortunately he is saved from having to respond by Kurt coming back in.

"He said that if we promise not to file a malpractice claim they'll waive the hospital fee and get a orthopedic doctor in to drain his ankle ASAP. I agreed because I want to get Rory out of here and back home as quickly as possible."

"Are we going home now?" asks Rory for a third time, the previous conversation already forgotten. Thank goodness for the drug induced short attention span.

* * *

><p>Kurt is so glad he decided to come. The anxiety of not knowing what was happening with Rory the exact moment it happens was just too much for him. It could easily be argued that it stems back to that horrific night when Finn ended up barring him from being in the PICU with Rory. Yet it probably goes even deeper than that to when he was nine and his mom had cancer. No one was ever fully honest with hi m about the magnitude of the situation, yet he could always tell when something was seriously wrong. From that experience he learned that knowing that something is wrong, but not knowing what it is far worse than hearing bad news. At least that's how it is for him. With those experiences comes the constant need to be loop and the high level of anxiety that comes whenever he feels like that is not the case. He just wants to be included.<p>

As it is it's a really good thing that he did come or else it might have gone unnoticed that Rory had been given a near overdose of narcotics. Finn is an absolute rockstar in regards to keeping an (obsessively) close eye on Rory's daily medications and is meticulous at watching for any signs of a fever or bleed. Yet it is also way too easy for him to miss the bigger picture. Like how them staying up late playing video games leads to Rory not feeling well the next day, or how emotionally damaging his constant hovering has been on Rory, or that Rory is not having a normal reaction to a drug he has been given many times before. It would devastate Finn to know this since it's already become such a big part of his identify, but Finn simply does not have the skills to be able to effectively care for Rory on his own. That's why they work so well as a team (with the occasional help from their parents).

They still have to wait for an additional fifteen minutes before a orthopedic doctor finally stops by to see them, by which point Rory's energy level had finally crashed and he was close to falling back asleep.

"I don't want that giant needle in me," Rory protests once fully roused.

"I'm sure it's not pleasant Rors, but that's why we came here. Once it's done we can finally break out of here."

"Yeah I know that. I'm just letting you know that I'm not happy about it." The effects of the drugs finally seem to be wearing off a bit. If he were fully back to normal Rory would just tough it out without complaint, but he's also more cognitively present than he was when Kurt first arrived.

"So I hear you have hemophilia," says the new doctor as she gets everything ready. "That can cause all sorts of joint problems if you aren't careful. I trust you're good about taking necessary precautions?"

"Not always, but those ones yell at me if I don't so it all balances out in the end."

"So is he the only one of you three who has it? That's unusual, typically in a family of this many boys more than one is affected."

They don't have to worry about Rory speaking and blowing their cover this time. Even if it does make things easier if people believe there is a bio relation, they do have the paperwork to prove that Rory is theirs. Plus with the slightly slurred speech it would be hard for someone who doesn't know Rory to distinguish between that and the accent.

"All right Mr. Flanagan I'm going to get started." The doctor moves forward with her giant needle. It's equally terrifying the second time around as it was the first.

"No wait, hold on!" Rory yelps. "Will you please hold my hand Finn? And maybe sit on the bed with me like last time? It… helps. Kurt could…could you maybe sit on my other side?" That's some seriously major progress. When this whole fiasco first started a few weeks ago Rory _never_ would have made that request, drugged or otherwise.

Finn lays down on Rory's right side while Kurt has to settle with just sitting on the left side near the front so the doctor has room to access his swollen left ankle. Finn puts his arm around Rory, which unexpectedly leads to him tensing up and letting out a small whimper.

"Could you put your arm down? I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I know it's weird, but having your arm around me right now was instant anxiety."

"Do you want us to move off the bed?" asks Finn gently. Kurt's definitely missing something here.

"No stay! I want you both next to me and still hold my hand, but just don't…. I-I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing's wrong. I think it's just the restraint thing again. I'm not offended."

"I'm really sorry guys."

"Rory honey, it's not your fault. Stop saying sorry." Kurt might not know the exact details of what's going on, but it is obvious that Rory is unnecessarily beating himself up about it.

"I'll explain later,' Finn mouths to Kurt upon noticing his confusion.

Still partially under the influence of the drugs Rory is quite vocal in crying out in pain as the needle goes in and clings to Kurt's entire arm so tightly he almost joins him in the pain screams. This is such an interesting aspect of Rory's personality in that he doesn't express it all unless delirious or under the influence of medication. Finn had reported that the last time this procedure happened Rory had been totally stoic. Yet on the other hand Rory had also just started coming down from a drug high then as well. With that in mind maybe Rory being vocal about his pain level has little to do with the medication and primarily a matter of him becoming more comfortable with them.

* * *

><p>This can never happen again. <em>Ever<em>. Finn grudgingly realizes that will never fully be able to prevent Rory from getting hurt, but ER trips that leave Rory in worse shape leaving than when he came in need to be stopped. The treatment Rory came in for, removing the pooled blood with a needle and syringe, appeared so simple. Surely at the very least his mom can be trained to do that for Rory at home and maybe he could as well. This needs to be his new focus. Instead of spending all his time focused on keeping Rory safe on a minute-by-minute basis, he needs to accept that injuries are inevitable and focus on learning how to deal with them effectively at home.

"Alright gentlemen, that's it," announces the doctor cheerfully once Rory's now drained ankle has returned to semi-normal size. "All I have to do is set him up with a pair of crutches and I can send you all on your way.

"I can't do crutches," Rory whispers, turning bright red. Finn lets out a moan of exasperation. Just when he thinks they are finally starting to move past this childish need to blend in with crowd, it pops back up again.

"Yes you can Rory, for goodness sake! I'm sorry if it embarrasses you but you can't walk on that ankle."

"It has nothing to do with that! I-I literally _can't_ do it. My right knee has still been bothering me quite a bit. It hurts whenever I walk more than a few feet. I can't put all my weight on that leg. I can't do crutches. "

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" demands Kurt.

"Because there's nothing you or anyone else can do," says Rory sadly. "Normally joint bleeds start to feel better within a few days. It's been almost a month. The cartilage has been damaged and that's just the way it is."

Finn's heart aches for Rory as he says this. All three of them know that extended joint bleeds can cause the cartilage to erode away in a way that is usually permanent. He's being very matter of fact about it, but there is no way it can't be devastating to Rory to know that the difficulties he's having with his knee will most likely be lifelong. No fourteen year old should be forced to deal with this. Finn can understand why Rory hasn't wanted to talk about it.

"I doubt that's the case," says the clueless doctor. "You're just a kid. I'm sure with a bit of physical therapy we can get that fully healed. It's probably just a common ACL injury. Would you like me to take some scans to see what's going on?"

"No. We can have his primary doctor look at it later," says Finn firmly. Right now his number one priority is to get Rory out of the ER. Doing scans would most likely result in another hours wait. Plus after going through such a terrible day the last thing Rory needs is to have a concrete image of the damaged joint out to see in black and white. If he does have any hope left that it might not be permanent than he should be allowed to hold onto that for awhile longer.

"Fair enough. Since you can't put any weight on either leg it looks like you're getting sent you home with a wheelchair."

"I'm never leaving the house until I'm out of this thing," Rory says glumly as they get him set up a standard issue hospital wheelchair. For a kid who wants so desperately to pass for normal Finn can see why spending any amount of time in a wheelchair would be so aversive for him. Considering how intense Rory has been lately about getting out of the house it's sad how quickly it's done a 180. He wonders if there is any way he could get Rory to change his mind about this…

"Dude this is actually a good thing. If you're in a wheelchair we can incorporate you into even the dance heavy numbers since you could get away with not doing as much. Artie can help you figure out the choreography. We're working on it tomorrow. Our parents aren't here to veto it, so you can come."

"Really? You would let me do that?"

Finn quickly glances over at Kurt who gives a small nod of confirmation, appearing to be thinking along the same lines.

"Absolutely."

_To be continued…_

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><p><em><strong>Random fun contest: the nickname "Rory-bear" has appeared in the story three times so far. The first person to tell me the character that originated the name, in what context and which chapter gets to request a scene (within reason) that will appear in one of the next two chapters. Other requests may also be taken into account. <strong>_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Happy Damian McGinty week! I thought I would add to the fun with chapter 18. Also Capricious Attention Deficit was the winner of last chapters contest. You'll see the beginnings of her requested prize appear at the end of the chapter.**_

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><p>After what seemed like an infinite wait the three of them finally are on the way home from the hospital, with Finn driving and the other two curled up in the back. It's not a long car ride, but within minutes the gentle movements of the car lulls Rory right to sleep. Kurt gently re-positions him so that his head is in his lap. Finn shoots him a tired smile from his position in the front communicating both his gratitude and mutual exhaustion. Even though Kurt doesn't have his license on him having taken the bus to the hospital, Kurt still finds himself wishing that he had taken the wheel as after the day Finn's had there's no way Finn isn't almost as spent as Rory is.<p>

Once they finally pull up to the house Rory still does not stir. Through eye contact alone Kurt and Finn wordlessly agree that rather than waking him up, they should just to carry him in. Then to their surprise Sam runs up to meet them and intercepts Finn before they even have a chance to discuss who should be the one to do so.

"Here, let me take him."

"That's okay, I've got him," says Finn semi-territorially moving towards Rory's position still in Kurt's lap.

"No really. You look shot dude. You spent the entire day driving, got into a huge fight with one of your closest friend and then spent nearly four hours at the ER. Let me help you."

"I appreciate that, but you have to be so careful with him. He's…." Finn cuts himself off. He was obviously going to say fragile, but stops himself in time knowing how much Rory would hate him if he said it, true as it may be.

"Given how tired you are it will be way safer for me to take him," Sam accurately points out.

"He's right Finn. Plus if Rory is even halfway accurate about the state of Sam's muscles I'm sure he is perfectly strong enough to safely carry him." Kurt added that last part to lighten the mood given how stressed out Finn looks at the prospect of relinquishing some control.

"What did he say?" asked a bemused Sam as he lifts Rory out of the backseat and into his arms after Finn finally gives a small nod in confirmation.

"Nothing important." Finn and Kurt both share an amused look. Sam just shrugs completely non-flustered by the comment, Rory's weight in his arms or the unusual situation he has found himself in. It must have helped to have had some time to himself to wrap his head around all the Hudmel drama.

"Where do you want him: upstairs bedroom or couch?"

"Upstairs if you don't mind. I think he would be more comfortable on an actual bed."

That's the partial truth. Kurt is certain that the full is that Finn needs the comfort of knowing he's in the same room as Rory just a few feet over.

During the increased movement of being carried up the stairs Rory stirs and lets out a light whimper of confusion.

"It's okay Rors. We're back home and Sam's just carrying you upstairs to bed," Finn says as he reaches over to pat the younger boy's arm.

Rory's eyes shoot wide open at these words and he glances up at Sam from his bridal style position in his arms. He then turns bright red and squeezes his eyes shut again, as if hoping that if he goes back to sleep it will turn out to be just a dream. By the time they do arrive at Finn's room he has already successfully fallen back to sleep.

"Thanks Sam. You were right about the crazy day I've had. I might not have been able to safely carry him up. Your help is much appreciated."

"No problem. It's the least I can do in exchange for housing. It's kind of a big deal."

Once Sam leaves to settle into his new room, Kurt and Finn both take great care in tucking Rory into bed. Doing so is clearly more for their benefit than for his, as at this point Rory would probably sleep soundly regardless of the comfort level of his bed. Both of them feel terrible about the horrific day Rory just had, not even close to as bad his first few days in the hospital, but still… They were supposed to be keeping him safe. Now he's in a wheelchair from a new completely preventable injury and unhealed injury that they had completely failed to notice (wasn't he _just_ praising himself for being good at spotting the big picture?), and from what Finn has filled him in on has developed a fairly intense phobia.

"I love him so much," confesses Finn aloud for the first time.

"I know. I love him too. It's scary isn't it? How quickly it happened, I mean." Finn nods in agreement. It's also equally scary loving someone whose life and well-being is frequently in jeopardy. Especially now that it's become increasingly obvious that there is little either of them can do to fully prevent Rory from getting hurt. Neither Kurt's semi-laid back or Finn's hyper intense style of doing it seems to be making any difference. But it's late and there's nothing they can do to address the situation right now.

After retreating to his room Kurt sends out a mass text to everyone in the Glee Club explaining that they've been in the ER with Rory for half the night and to request that the practice be moved from first thing in the morning to close to noon for the purposes of sleep. Despite the wee hours about half of them respond right away in a panic about the state of Rory's health with no mention of the practice session. As these continue to pour in Kurt realizes too late that in his exhaustion he failed to mention that it was just a minor injury and that Rory was going to be fine. Cursing himself for causing so many of his friends unnecessary panic he quickly shoots off a second mass text explaining what happened before collapsing into his bed for the night.

* * *

><p>Even though it had been Rory's idea to go to today's dance rehearsal, in fact as Finn and Kurt point out he was relentless in insisting to do so while on Oxycodon, once the time comes to do so that morning he has his doubts. True for the past few weeks he has wanted nothing more than to return to the normalcy of school and Glee club, but now that the time has comes he finds himself full of anxiety at the prospect. At the Hudmel house he knows he's safe from judging eyes and demands his body might not comply with. At the dance rehearsal that is not going to be the case. While there have always been a few exceptions throughout his life, most of the time Rory has been able to 'pass' for normal, but right now due to a combination of injuries and limited stamina there is a whole laundry list of things he simply cannot physically do. That was his reality before he hurt his ankle and ended up in a wheelchair whether he would admit it to anyone in his host family or not. Now the presence of the wheelchair just announces these limitations to anyone who looks at him. He'd give anything for this not to be the way he returns to the Glee Club, but right now it is his only option if he's going to compete in sectionals.<p>

Rory refuses to let any of the fellows know his reservations and instead overcompensates with heavy enthusiasm that morning. Nor does he allow either Kurt or Finn to help him get dressed, wrap his aching foot in an ace bandage or even carry him downstairs to his wheelchair. Instead he insists on slowly scooting down the stairs on his bottom. Rory can tell that Finn is having a mini breakdown inside his head as he hovers just a few stairs below him in case he slips, but impressively refrains from acting on it.

This pattern continues for the rest of their late morning up until the point that they reach the school and Finn wordlessly takes the handles of his wheelchair to push him down the hallway into the choir room.

"Do NOT push my chair. I am perfectly capable of propelling myself," Rory whirls himself around and glares at Finn, Kurt and Sam as he says this.

"What the problem Rory? We do it for Artie all the time." All three of them look so confused.

"I don't care what you do for Artie. Allowing you all to do it is his choice to make. You're not doing it for me!" Rory's honestly not sure why he's lashing out at them the way he is. Not having anyone do things for him that he can do himself is extremely important to him, yes, but there is no need for him to be quite so aggressive in getting the point across. They were just trying to help.

"Okay, sorry bud if it's that important to you none of us will do that again."

"Thanks Finn, I appreciate it," Rory politely backtracks. He really needs to start giving his host brothers more credit. One thing he realized last night in the hospital as the effects of the drugs started to come off was that he trusts Finn and Kurt completely and absolutely.

A sudden hush falls over the room as the three of them enter. Whether it's because no one had expected for Rory to be at practice, because he's in a wheelchair or some awful combination of both is uncertain. As everyone gapes at them Rory avoids all eye contact, biting his lip and hanging his head. He wishes he could disappear right here and now.

"Alright guys shows over. Give the boy some air. Guess who else is here?!" Sam purposely seems to have chosen that moment to make his return known in order to save him from his embarrassment from all the attention. Rory has only known him for a day now, but Rory is quickly finding that he really likes Sam a lot.

"Rory what happened last night buddy?" asks Will after they all quickly embrace Sam. "I know Kurt texted us early this morning that you hurt your ankle, but we still haven't heard the details."

"Yeah, you were fine last night when I left the three of you. What on earth happened to put you in a wheelchair?" adds Rachel a bit tactlessly.

He can feel all eyes on him once again, but can't actually see it as Rory refuses to look at anywhere but the ground as he answers. "Well Finn and I ended up getting into a bit of a fight and-"

"What?!" Puck cuts him off gruffly before rounding on Finn. "If you hurt him Finn I swear to god I will kill you. That is so not cool."

"No it was nothing like that! I was the one who lost my tempter and did all the yelling and inadvertently ended up hurtling myself in the process. Finn didn't do anything wrong." Just the mere suggestion that Finn might have hurt him makes him angry. Finn has been nothing but amazing to him since they first met and doesn't deserve such accusations.

"Sorry man, I didn't mean any offense."

"No worries Puck. If I ever did hurt him I give you all permission to kill me. I would totally deserve it."

"No you wouldn't. Though I doubt you ever would, but if it did happen it would be because I was being an obnoxious little shit and had it coming. You know I can be." While he can't remember everything that happened while he was on the overly high dose of medicine, he does have enough foresight to know that he became incredibly annoying.

"What, you're not suggesting that you can sometimes be difficult or at all stubborn are you? Never!" laughs Finn good naturedly. Rory finally allows himself to glance at the group and is relieved to see all the worried looks lessoned from their playful banter. It's like they just gave them all permission to not take his current wheelchair bound state quite so seriously. With that in mind Rory is able to throw himself headfirst into the Michael Jackson numbers with enthusiasm.

The group quickly shows him a crude version of the routine that Mike and Brittney have choreographed thus far (Finn was not kidding about the first number being intense) before Artie pulls Rory aside to teach him the modified wheelchair choreography. Rory had been expecting it to be a challenge having to transfer his already weak dance skills to a new medium in a wheelchair. Yet Artie starts out with extremely simple moves just doing arm movements while staying in one place. At first Rory is thankful that Artie is easing him into it but an hour in he becomes increasingly frustrated as the moves do not increase in complexity.

"Come on man I don't just want to wheel around the stage. I saw the video of your performance of Proud Mary. Show me how to do those wheelies and spins," Rory at last pleads in desperation. Never in his life would he have imagined he would actually be requesting more challenging choreography.

Artie glances up at him sharply, looking suddenly ill at ease. "I'm not sure if that would be a good idea Rory. Let's just keep it simple." As he says this it becomes clear that the overly simple moves aren't coincidental. Artie doesn't want Rory doing anything with even the remote possibility of falling.

"Finn put you up to this didn't he?" Rory asks stonily.

"Finn? No, he said nothing of the sort. In fact he texted me earlier to treat you just like anyone else in a wheelchair. I just thought that…" Artie allows his voice to trail off uncomfortably. A sudden realization hits Rory like a bag of bricks—Artie is treating him like he's made of glass on his own accord. Rory had been so sure that if anyone would understand of his disability it would be him, but that is not the case. Artie, and possibly the rest of Glee Club, views having hemophilia as a far more serious difference than having paraplegia. Apparently he is the lowest of the pecking order.

"Look, you are either going to show me how to do the wheelchair dance moves that you will be doing safely, or I will attempt them myself without any instructions which actually would be dangerous. It's your choice on how we'll proceed, but either way I'm doing it."

Rory stubbornly stares Artie down in a death glare until he relents to teach him. Right now Rory might be tired and his ankle might be in pain, but he is more determined than ever to prove them all wrong. He's going to learn those moves even if it kills him.

* * *

><p>There is definitely an extra air of excitement among the Glee Club today, much more so than any of the most recent rehearsals they've had over the past few weeks. Everyone is so happy to see Rory. While he hasn't been part of Glee Club long and often gets overlooked, he is well liked. Ever since Rory got sick there has been an undeniable dampening in the mood of the group. Now that both he and Sam are back the enthusiasm that Rory has had all morning is contagious.<p>

Throughout the session his friends keep coming up to him in turn to express how pleased they are to have Rory back and see him doing so much better. This is absolutely genuine, yet Kurt can still detect a hint of dismay in their voices as they say this. None of them had expected Rory to show up in a wheelchair and many who have not closely been following his progress are probably confused as to why he's still not fully back to normal by now.

As they run through some of their more elaborate dance moves in 'ABC' Kurt can't help but notice how distracted everyone is as they keep glancing nervously over at Rory as he carefully imitates all of Artie's moves. He can almost hear them all holding in a collective breath of fear as Rory does his first wheelie. They are currently a group made up of only juniors and seniors, so freshmen Rory is easily the baby of the group. Combine that with his recent brush with death and it is almost impossible for them all to not feel protective of him.

This becomes especially clear when Artie approaches him about two hours into their intensive rehearsal session.

"Hey Kurt?" Artie asks him hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm worried about Rory. For the past ten minutes of so he's just seemed… off. I'm worried he might not be well enough to be doing this, but I still can't convince him to take a break. Is there any chance he could be sick?"

Kurt glances over at Rory as he practices complex moves in the wheelchair over and over again without pausing. Despite his determined expression, his eyes are partially glassed over, his shoulders are tense and he's openly panting from the effort. In the land of Rory body language these are a sure sign that he's not feeling great. One thing that neither of them had fully taken into consideration when they allowed Rory to come to rehearsal was just how tired and low energy Rory would be from the previous day's events.

"You look tired," Kurt says gently as he approaches Rory.

"Yeah, but I'll be okay." Rory doesn't break from the routine as he says this.

"I think you need to take a break hon."

"I don't want to." Kurt is pleased to hear Rory say this matter of factly, rather as part of a whine. The message might be the same, but the intent is self assertion rather than emotional manipulation.

"Rory, I'm sorry but you need to. If you don't it's only going to get worse."

At these words Rory sighs and finally stops what he's doing to address Kurt seriously. "I know, but I have to prove to everyone that I can do this. If I give up they'll all see me as weak and in need of protection from this point onwards. "

"Well that certainly will be true if you end up passing out."

Rory pales at this suggestion. The thought of this happening more than anything else gets the point across. "Okay, I guess it's not like most of the others hasn't taken an occasional water break as well,"  
>he at last agrees reluctantly.<p>

"Smart choice," Kurt beams down at him. "How's your ankle by the way?"

"It hurts a bit, but it isn't bad. It's just a dull ache, which as far as the pain varieties go that's one of the better options."

Kurt is torn between being relieved that Rory isn't in any significant pain (without lying about it) and being heartbroken that at the tender age of almost 15 he has all the pain 'varieties' labeled and categorized.

"Come on, I'll get you some water and something to take care of that."

"No. I will get the water bottle and Tylenol that I packed out of my backpack myself and then I will maneuver out of the wheelchair to a more comfortable position _myself_. There is absolutely no reason for you to help me."

Kurt nods in agreement, understanding how important these small tasks of independence are to him. Rory's been especially intense about it today as if he's testing Finn's promise to ease up on his overprotecting attitude. Thus far Finn has really gone above and beyond at keeping his word almost to the point of avoiding Rory during their practice. Yet Kurt has made no such promise and thus he can't prevent himself from continuing to monitor Rory out of the corner of his eye as he carefully slides out of the wheelchair onto the choir room floor with his back supported against the wall. Just those simple movements leave Rory looking even more pale and tired looking than he did just moments ago. As he watches him close his eyes and lean his head back against the wall breathing heavily, Kurt realizes that it is very unlikely that Rory will be able to return to another few hours of intensive choreography. As stubbornly determined as Rory is to keep up with them all it's just not in the cards for him right now.

"He's still not well, is he?" asks Mercedes mournfully, speaking so softly that only Kurt can hear it.

"Not exactly," Kurt replies just as softly. "He no longer has any sign of infection if that's what you mean. Finn's mom takes a blood sample every other day and it's now been over a week since any bacteria has been present. The same blood samples has also shown that his kidneys are officially back to normal. But if you mean overall, then no. His body is still recovering from all the crazy stuff that got thrown at it."

"How so?"she whispers. Kurt wishes he could protect his best friend from her own self-loathing, but suspects that honesty is probably the best policy.

"His energy level is really low and he'll sometimes get bad headaches, dizzy spells or sudden bouts of nausea. The doctors all say that this is normal and that he probably won't be fully back to his old self for another month. He's still on quite a bit of medication as well that have contributing side effects. Plus we've had a few setbacks this week with the head injury, new joint bleed and unpleasant ER trip."

Kurt glances up again at his exhausted 'little brother' as Finn, Sam and Will each kneel down in turn to speak quietly with him. Despite what he is saying there is no denying that Rory has come a long way from the frail kid that initially came home from the hospital with them. In comparison he looks quite healthy.

"Rory is making good progress though. He's able to stay awake for way longer periods of time since when he first came home with us. He's also not on any IV medication anymore which had been taking up a lot of his and Carol's time that first week with us. He's regained a good deal of the weight that he lost and his overall stamina continues to improve every day. I wouldn't classify Rory as being unwell, just recovering. It's slow, but he is getting there."

"If there's ever anything I can do for him, anything at all, please let me know."

Kurt hates that Mercedes continues to beat herself up about this, as if everything that happened to Rory was exclusively her fault. It isn't fair for her to be doing this, especially now that he's come to the conclusion that with Rory keeping his illness a secret some sort of severe injury would be inevitable whether the game had happened or not. In all likelihood they are probably fortunate that it occurred in a situation where Rory was surrounded by his friends who could get him help. If he had been alone or in a crowded hallway with no one looking out for him…well, Kurt would rather not think about how it might have ended.

Kurt quickly tells her this before adding: "Going back to what you said in all honesty Rory doesn't want anything done for him, so the best thing you can do for him right now is nothing. Though I must say, that stuffed Bullseye you got for him has a been a huge hit. He loves that stupid thing and it was a great source of comfort to him last night in the Emergency Room."

"Was it pretty bad last night?"

"Yeah, but it was less about the injury itself and more to do with the inadequacies of the hospital. Also before you ask last night's injury was completely unrelated to the last one." Earlier this morning before Rory woke up Finn had spoken to Carol on the phone about the possibility of expanding their medical cabinet, which is already overflowing with his dad and Rory's supplies, to contain specialized equipment that with some training would allow them to deal with non-life threatening injuries at home.

"Um, I do have one idea of something I could do for him," says Mercedes with a sudden gleam in her eye. "Do you think he has enough energy and lungpower right now to sing a few solo lines at Sectionals?"

"Considering how loudly he was yelling at Finn last night and then later wouldn't stop talking to the point of us wanting to muzzle him I would say yes."

Mercedes raises an eyebrow at this, but refrains from commenting. "In which case how about we talk to the others about letting Rory share some of the solo lines in a song. I bet it would mean a lot to him."

"I think it would, also "Control" would be great for him as that's kind of been his theme song for the past few weeks. Also do you think you could be the one to talk to them? Rory is most definitely done with dancing for the day, so I'm going to make up some excuse as to why I need to leave early so that he can bow out without a fight."

Mercedes enthusiastically agrees and the two of them rejoin the group as Kurt racks his brain for a plausible excuse for reason. As it turned out it was unnecessary as Sam beats them to it, insisting that he needs to duck out early to get a head start on catching up with all the work that he missed while not in school. As Kurt and Finn are his ride, all of them must then leave early. It's very likely that most of them saw right through it, but at least it allowed Rory to escape with enough dignity that he was willing to do so.

"You sure pushed Artie hard Rory," says Finn cheerfully as they make their exit.

"What do you mean?"

"He certainly hadn't been planning on stepping it up quite so much with the wheelchair dancing. He even told me a few days ago that he was planning on keeping it simple since he has so many singing parts. From what I saw of you two you certainly got Artie to change his tune."

"Oh. Well… I might have threatened him a tad," says Rory softly.

"You what?"

"I thought he was only keeping it simple for my benefit. It never occurred to me that he might just be lazy."

All three of them have to smile at that, even though Kurt secretly knows that a lot of Artie's motivation most likely was to protect Rory.

"Well regardless your threats are going to make the wheelchair part of the dance one of the standout moments. So thanks Rory, keep it up!" laughs Sam.

* * *

><p>That night Rory has yet another nightmare— one of his really bad one's that causes him to wake up the whole house with the intensity of his screams. It leaves him drenched in a cold sweat and quite shaken to a point that when Finn half jokingly offers to get in bed with him for the rest of the night Rory agrees with no hesitation. It's truly alarming to Finn that things have progressed to a point that Rory is no longer even attempting to keep up the forced bravo with these flashbacks. Finn and Kurt had both been hoping that just talking openly about his struggles on Saturday would automatically make things easier for him, but this new incident suggests otherwise.<p>

On the drive over to school the next morning Kurt and Finn end up having a rather intense conversation about the subject. During this time they finally decide that the next logical step is to talk to Emma about setting up regular sessions with Rory to professionally address the trauma that he went through. Rory might not be too keen with the idea at first, but they really are at a loss as to how else to help him. In some ways Rory's physical challenges seem easier to deal with than his psychological ones.

They both stop by to see her before class and, without telling her the exact details of what Rory's been struggling with, she agrees to start seeing him on a regular basis for the time being. It just so happens that she has a free opening during the last period of the day right before Glee Club practice which would work out well if they could get Rory to agree to it. That would also be an ideal way to start transitioning him into spending longer periods of time at school without actually having to attend classes and negotiate the hectic hallways.

Since Rory is already coming to school later in the day for another round of rehearsals and Emma is free beforehand they decide that he might as well start sooner rather than later. So during their lunch period they both head home to spend some time with Rory and talk to him about this. It's going to be an uncomfortable conversation.

They find Rory in his usual position sprawled across the living room couch watching tv. The only difference is the surprisingly sulky aura that seems to be radiating off him and that he barely acknowledges their unexpected midday appearance. Finn dismissively shrugs it off as just being the result of yet another late night.

"Hey Rory, we thought we'd join you for lunch today. How was your day so far bud?"

"Fine!" Rory snaps moodily, taking them both aback.

"Oh really, cause your tone suggests otherwise," Kurt jokes playfully.

"Whatever," Rory snaps back. Finn and Kurt exchange a worried glance at this. What on earth?

"Is-is everything okay Rory? Did something happen?" asks Kurt tentatively.

"I don't want to talk about it. Will you just go back to school?" he grumbles under his breath. With the possible exception of when he freaked out at Finn, neither of them has ever seen him like this before.

"Whoa, what's going on Rors?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it, okay? Leave me alone. Go be teenagers for once. I don't want to be your charity case right now. "

"Rory…."

"Just leave me alone okay?! I'd storm up to my room right now except we share it and I can't exactly storm up the stairs like a normal teenager now can I? So just leave me alone!"

It's only then that they both notice a large knee brace on Rory's right knee. Finn momentarily considers asking Rory if he saw his doctor today, but quickly thinks better of it given his current mood. This would definitely not be the best time to bring up going to therapy. Instead he tracks down his mom for answers. She came back from D.C. late last night after hearing about what happened to Rory on Saturday under the proclamation that from this point on, for as long as they have Rory she wasn't taking any more weekend trips with Burt.

"Mom, is there something going on with Rory?"

"I'm afraid so. I took him to the doctor today to get his knee looked at. The x-rays weren't good; exactly as he feared actually. The damage is indeed permanent."

Finn immediately feels sick. He had so desperately wanted Rory to be wrong. "How bad is it?"

"The cartilage is almost completely warn away. The x-ray looked like the knee of an old man with severe arthritis."

Having overheard the conversation Kurt enters the room looking pale. "What can be done for him?"

"Not a whole lot. I'm guessing you saw the unloader brace he was wearing. That will help make it more functional by taking the pressure off as well as some physical therapy to strengthen the surrounding muscles. I'm also going to start giving him regular lidocaine injections into the socket to lessen the pain. But for a long term solution the only option he has is knee replacement surgery."

It doesn't even need to be said that with Rory's hemophilia such a surgery would be dangerous. Finn's since learned that the previous port surgery Rory had was quick and with low risk. He was never cut fully open as it was all done just underneath his skin. Knee replacement surgery would be a completely different beast that would be high risk. They truly are caught between a rock and a hard place with this one.

"How did he take it?" Finn finally asks, not sure how else to react.

"At the time he took it well, but he's been moody ever since. I don't blame him in the slightest. So far I've just been giving him space, but I was hoping that you to guys would talk to him. He'd be more likely to open up with his buddies than with me."

They both nod in agreement and hesitantly return to the living room and sit down with him. Finn isn't sure where to even begin. What do you say to someone in this situation?

"My mom just told us about your trip to the doctor… I'm so, so sorry Rors. I know this sucks massively, but I want you to know that it's going to be okay-"

Just then Rory interrupts his awkwardly prepared speech with deep roar of frustration. He picks up the nearest object, a mug of tea, and hurls it across the room with all his might into the wall where it immediately shatters leaving shreds of broken ceramic all over the floor.

"No it's not! It is not going to be okay! I HATE this!" he screams. "I hate my life! It's not fair!"

Finn and Kurt both sit dumbfounded across from him as Rory continues to throw objects as he sobs hysterically and screams furiously in Gaelic.

_To be continued…_


	19. Chapter 19

**_Yay, two chapter in one week. It must be winter break!_**

* * *

><p>"I don't want to do this anymore! I'm done! Finished!" Rory yells at the top of his lungs as he tears apart all the books and magazines on the coffee table. He is in full on tantrum mode, that neither Finn, Kurt nor his mom who came in when she heard the commotion can really blame him for throwing. All of life cards appear to be stacked against him right now.<p>

"I know this is hard Rory-bear," says Kurt in his wonderfully soothing tone. "But you will get through this just like you have everything else."

"No you don't! You don't know! You don't know what it's like to have hemophilia. To be weak. To not be able to do sports. To always be sick and spend half your life in doctors' offices. You don't know a thing! Nothing!"

At this Rory stands up and awkwardly marches to the other side of the room in search of more objects to rip apart or throw. Very awkwardly as he has a brace on both his left ankle and right knee, causing him to sway and almost topple over in the process.

"I get that Rory, I really do but now it's time for you to stop and take a breath to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself," says Finn measuredly taking a step towards him.

"Fine. I don't care. Didn't you hear me? I'm quitting!"

Quitting what, Finn wonders with a sudden panic. His time in America? Being careful? Hemophilia treatment? Life?

He doesn't have a chance to ask because Rory chooses that moment to pick up the coffee table and throw it several feet across the room, before turning to kick over the nearby armchair. Something inside of Rory seems to have snapped. It's like all the anger and negative feelings Rory has kept tightly bottled up for all of his life has suddenly been set loose on a rampage. All this anger has taken over the sweet boy he knows as Rory continues his quest of destroying the room. Even his eyes look darker right now.

Right now if Rory was any of his other friends Finn would have no hesitation in restraining him from causing any further damage and shaking him until he came back to his senses. But with Rory this is not a viable option. While thus far his phobia has been restricted to medical situations, Finn is willing to gamble that Rory would not react well to being held down or even touched right now. It would re-traumatize him and be a massive betrayal of trust. So instead he just stands hopelessly with Kurt and his mom as Rory angrily throws everything in sight.

They don't yet have the full tree up until Burt returns, but they do have the room partially decorated for Christmas including a mini tree on a light stand. In his rage Rory proceeds to knock it over to the ground with a crunch as all the glass decorative ornaments are smashed. When it does not make enough of a satisfying impact for him Rory picks up a still intact bulb and throws it back to the ground with all his might. The tiny shards of broken glass bounce from the impact and scatter all over, including inches away from Rory's bare feet.

"Rory Flanagan stop right there," demands his mom sternly. "Do not move a muscle or you're going to cut open your feet."

In response Rory picks up another bulb and throws it yet again. While it didn't seem be intentional as Rory isn't looking where he's throwing things this one just narrowly avoids hitting Kurt. At this point it becomes obvious that they have fully lost control of the situation. Rory could hurt one of them, or even worse he could seriously hurt himself. His mom has not yet acquired a collection of suture kits to use at home, so any broken glass that Rory comes into contact with would inevitably mean another Emergency Room trip for stiches. For Rory's own safety Finn is forced against his own wishes and better judgment to act. In one swift swoop Finn scoops Rory into his arms and attempts to rush him away from what has become a hemophilia minefield.

Finn only has two seconds of respite before Rory recovers from the shock and lets out an ear piercing scream. He starts struggling furiously in his arms and when that doesn't work takes a swing at Finn…right across the face, quickly followed by a firm elbow to the stomach. Finn doubles over in pain, almost causing him to drop Rory, but just in time Kurt rushes forward to firmly hold up Rory's other side. That move is a godsend in preventing Rory from being dropped into a splattering of sharp broken objects, but the duel hold just causes Rory to react even more ferociously. As Finn struggles to adjust Rory's position in his arms he catches a brief glance at Rory's face and sees the pure terror flashing across it. Finn hates himself for doing this to him.

"Get him out to the hallway," orders his mom. "You can put him down there since if I close all the doors there will be nothing for him to break."

Even between the two of them just carrying Rory a few feet is a massive struggle. In the process Finn makes the mistake of getting his arm too close to Rory's mouth and gets bitten, as Rory is pulling all punches in what he must perceive to be self-defense. Finn doesn't have a chance to check but the pain and dampness he feels on his arm when he manages to pull away suggest that Rory has drawn blood.

Once they can safely put Rory down out in the safety of the hallway Finn is certain that the worst of it has to be over. He is wrong. Still in full fight or flight mode Rory continues to attempt to hit and punch his former 'captures' with an intensity that is rather frightening. Equally so is the look in his eyes that doesn't look anything like they belong to the Rory he has come to know and love.

"Rory baby, Rory, you need to calm down. Look at me sweetie," coos his mom soothingly reaching out to stroke his hair. In response Rory aims a thankfully poorly planned kick at her which misses by a foot. Regardless the message is clear and they all stand up in order to back away from him. This has gone well beyond the point of a tantrum.

To their absolute horror once they are all out of Rory's line of fire he turns on himself, hitting himself with an open hand smack across the side of his head. Finn doesn't give Rory another chance to have another go as he grabs hold of both his hands and holds them down. The number one cause of death people with hemophilia is brain bleeds caused by moderate or even mild head trauma. As terrible as being forced to pin Rory to the ground is, he cannot risk Rory doing that to himself. Finn has no choice, or so he keep telling himself.

Rory screams and struggles under him as if he's being tortured, leaving Finn feeling like a monster. But when he experimentally lets off Rory is back to hitting himself, this time doing a very calculated punch to his chest right over his port. Upon seeing this Kurt has to jump in to help Finn restrain him further.

"I hate you Finn Hudson! I hate you both!"

At this point Finn and Kurt are both crying. This is an absolute nightmare. Everything about it is horrifying. They don't know what is worse: what Rory is doing or what they are being forced to do to him in response.

"Let me go!" Rory attempts to fight and claw his way out as if his life depended on it (does he think that?!), but two against one who is smaller and not in the best physical health is not a fair fight. He's completely trapped.

"Not if you're going to keep hurting yourself Rory. If we let you go we need to be sure that you'll be safe," says his mom firmly. Finn doesn't understand how she is still keeping her composure.

Rory ignores her words and continues to struggle and scream things at them neither of the brothers would care to remember. It's almost as if now that he's given up on fighting his way out of this, Rory is trying to shock them into letting him go. Finn has to tell himself over and over that Rory doesn't really mean it. This is just the devastation and trauma talking. Based upon the brief internet research he's done on medical trauma in kids it's very likely that Rory's having intense flashbacks right now, he might not even be fully aware where he is. Rory can't help what he's saying but it nonetheless still stings.

Finally after what seems like a lifetime Rory relaxes in their arms and instead just sobs uncontrollably. Finn very purposefully fully lets go of him once it's clear the danger of has passed, but Rory makes no effort to get away from them now. He looks so broken and confused. Finn wonders how much of what just transpired he is able to process, or if he is even fully aware of it all. They lay on the floor with Rory for nearly fifteen minutes as he cries silently in their arms. Finally his mom suggests bringing him to Sam's room while she cleans up the living room war zone. School is long forgotten.

When they get him onto Sam's unmade bed (it's impressive how quickly Sam made a mess of things in only two days) Rory is shaking violently and is sporting an absolutely shell shocked expression staring straight ahead unblinkingly. Not sure how else to help him Finn gently rocks Rory in his arms and sings softly to Rory just like he did in the ICU, this time with Kurt's harmonies. It's not long before Rory is asleep in Sam's bed.

Once sure he's out Finn stands up and for the first time faces Kurt head on, both sporting equally shell shocked expressions.

"What the hell just happened?"

_**To be continued…**_

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><p><em>This chapter is intentionally short. I actually have most of the immediate aftermath already written, but this is one case where I want reader input before proceeding. Reviews always help me to better process how to communicate the next step of my plans and since what I just wrote about is fairly common within the personal and professional world I live in, but not for most people I need to hear how you are all interpreting this. Thanks and next chapter will be coming very soon. Yay winter break!<em>


	20. Chapter 20

Once Rory is asleep the two of them close them slink out of the room, closing the door behind them. Kurt then turns to his stepbrother who he is almost as equally worried about as he is Rory. What Finn was forced to do to protect Rory was necessary, if he hadn't picked up Rory when he did Kurt would have, but that doesn't make it any less painful. Considering that Finn still partially blames himself for indirectly causing Rory's original nosebleed by starting the dodgeball game, he's bound to have a hard time forgiving himself for knowingly triggering his phobia. Also Rory managed to get in quite a few hard hits right at Finn that he made no effort to dodge.

"Finn, are you hurt at all?" asks Kurt.

"Nothing lasting," he answers gruffly.

"Did you leave Rory alone?" calls Carol anxiously from across the hallway. She moves towards them at a brisk pace.

"He's asleep."

"Open the door then. For the rest of the day I don't ever want him alone. Not even for a second."

With a horrifying jolt Kurt realizes that Carol is concerned that if left alone Rory might harm himself, that he might be suicidal. If that is to be the case constant supervision will be the only way to ensure his safety. It won't be enough to just remove his access to potential weapons as is typically done with anyone else in that situation. Rory wouldn't need a weapon. Just a few head bangs against the wall would be sufficient. It would only take a second… As much as Kurt doesn't want to believe that doing that is something that his little Rory is capable of, just a half hour he never would have believed Rory would be capable of doing any of the things that just transpired.

Once Kurt opens the door to the room wide enough so that they can fully see Rory on the bed, his step-mom comes over and pulls them both into a duel hug. "Are you boys okay?"

"We're fine. Just shocked."

"That makes three of us. I've had a feeling a large scale meltdown was on the horizon, but I certainly didn't expect anything this …intense. Poor kids going to have a hell of a time when he wakes up."

Kurt has no arguments there. If they don't go through at least one major panic attack today once Rory processes what he did it will be a miracle. So much for Saturday, just two days ago, being Rory's worst day since coming to live with them. It's barely noon and today has already won out by a landslide.

"You aren't going to punish him are you?" demands Finn, seeming to get the wrong impression of what Carol was implying. "It wasn't his fault Mom. There was no malicious intent. He didn't plan this."

"I know honey. From the moment you picked him up onward that was a post traumatic stress reaction and he had no control of it. But as far as destroying the room he and I will have to work something out later. "

"But-"

"_Later_. That's the least of our concerns right now, hon. Could you both go get me his factor supplies, a butterfly needle and basic first aid kit. Before we do anything else I want to make sure he's physically alright."

"You're going to wake him now? Okay, well let me be the one to do it then." Finn moves to enter the bedroom, but is swiftly pulled back by his mom.

"That's not a good idea Finn. I'm so sorry guys, but having been the ones to restrain him there is a chance your presence could frighten him. Let me go in first and talk to him. At this point we still don't know what happened or what state he's going to be in. We need to tread carefully. "

Kurt feels physically ill at the mere suggestion that Rory might be afraid of them. Based on the deathly pale shade that Finn suddenly takes on the feeling is mutual. The thought had crossed his mind briefly when he was assisting in holding Rory down, but the idea of them integrating in with whatever traumatic memories Rory has been struggling with was just so horrible it was quickly brushed aside. That just can't be their reality now, it can't!

"Come on Finn, let's go find what your mom is looking for," Kurt says at last in a shockingly steady voice. It might not be psychologically healthy, but right now returning to his default of being the 'strong one' who looks after Finn is strangely comforting. Even if it comes back to bite him in the ass later, the routine makes him feel safe.

* * *

><p>Numb. That is how Rory feels right now: completely and utterly numb. He has been pretending to be asleep for god knows how long (it could be minutes or hours for all he knows, time seems to have stopped) in a desperate attempt to be left alone. It hasn't helped though. It is unlikely that anything will help.<p>

Rory had tried closing his eyes, but once trapped in the darkness images from earlier flash across his mind. So instead he turns his body away from the door and just stares at the wallpaper inches away from his face. He can hear voices outside the room. Kurt….Finn… Carol…. The door is open and they are only feet away so he should have no trouble listening in, but he cannot make out a word. It is all just white noise of three worried voices jumbling together.

"Rory? Rory, baby, could you wake up for me?" That he can make out clearly. Its Finn's mum and she's close by. Instinctively Rory sits straight up. There is some part within him that does not want to be in a submissive prone position in anyone's presence right now.

He cannot bear to look at Carol after what he did to her living room, so instead stares straight ahead several inches to her left. The generic floral wallpaper in this room has suddenly become fascinating.

"I'm sorry to wake you sweetie, I promise to let you get back to sleep in just a few minutes."

Sweetie? He is anything but sweet. Rory does not in any way deserve that affectionate title after what he just did. Not ever again.

"Rory, I would like to give you a preventative shot of factor. With all that excitement I'm sure you'll get a few bruises and I'm worried you might have a small bleed in your muscles or joints. This will stop whatever might be happening from getting worse. Is that okay?"

He would deserve any and all injuries that his 'excitement' caused. For this reason he would refuse treatment if it were not for the harm that would do to his host family. He does not want them to have to go through another doctor or hospital visit at his expense again. For that reason, and that reason only, Rory gives a small nod.

"Okay, now the thing is I don't want to use your port right now. Not until I can get confirmation that no damage was done to it in an x-ray. With your permission I'd like to find a vein in your arm and do it that way. Would that be okay?"

In response Rory rolls up the sweater of his arm that is closest to her and holds it out expectantly. He still does not speak a word. He can't.

"Thank you Rory. Now what I'm going to use a small butterfly needle to access a vein in the crook of your arm. But first I'm going to clean it with an alcohol swab. Still okay?"

Rory nods again and steals a quick glance at her worried face before quickly looking away. Carol seems to be purposefully over gentle by asking permission before doing anything and explaining things she must know he knows inside and out. It is like she is afraid he's going to freak out again. Should she be? Probably. After losing control so epically Rory can't trust himself anymore either.

Carol botches the first attempt to stick him, and again the second and third try. Rory is not at all surprised as he has been told multiple times that his veins are unusually small and not in ideal locations for accessing. There is a reason his port is so necessary. Carol apologizes over and over again; appearing increasingly distressed at the pain she's causing him with each repeatedly unsuccessful poke. Rory does not mind though. The pain is minor and even more importantly is causing his numb state to decrease to a point that allows his brain to finally start to process his situation.

"I am so sorry Carol. I'm so, so sorry. What I did was unforgivable," he whispers out once she is finally successful, in the first words he's spoken since his meltdown.

"Well that's just not true, because I already have forgiven you. We'll talk about it later. Right now I still need to make sure you're physically alright. I can already see marks forming on your wrists from the boys hold. I'd like to look over the rest of you to see if it goes beyond that."

With a sigh Rory agrees to the examination. He does not want her unquestioned forgiveness. He does not deserve it.

Carol is very thorough in her inspection for injury and announces each discovery to him in detail. Apparently he has light bruising on his shoulders, hips and lower back from where Finn and Kurt had held him down. Good. Then he can examine them in the mirror whenever he needs a reminder to never lose control ever again, no matter what he might be feeling or re-experiencing. The only injury he is upset by is the intense discoloration and swelling of the skin over his port. It is not going to be able to be used for at least a week, which will be a pain in the rear to deal with. Rory silently prays that the actual port was not damaged. He knows how expensive they are to replace and his parents already had to pay for a new one a few weeks ago. How could he be so stupid?!

"Well Rory I am quite happy to say that no significant damage was done. It could have been a lot worse so that's something to be very thankful for. Though I am going to call your doctor to see if she thinks you need scans since you did get hit in the head."

Why can she not just call it like it is? He did not just get hit in the head….he hit _himself_ in the head. What type of person does that?! Not a sane one, that is for sure.

"Also if you are feeling up to it I would appreciate some help putting the living room back together later today."

"No, l don't want to _help_ you. I should do all of it. I made the mess and I should be the one to clean it all up. None of you should have to do anything."

"Thanks sweetheart," _(wrong!)_ "But before I let you at it I need to pick up all the sharp pieces. I don't want you hurting yourself in the process. I'm going to get a jump on that and the phone call. In the meantime would you be okay with talking to the boys? It would do you all some good."

Rory glances up and sees Finn Hudson and Kurt Hummel standing in the doorway. At this sight a sudden burst of irrational fear jolts through him like a bolt of lightning. They held him down, forced him down to a point that he was totally at their mercy. It was beyond terrifying. Just two days ago Finn had insisted that he would never do that to him, not unless it was a matter of life or death. Was this? Rory doesn't think so, even though it was thoroughly deserved. He had deserved it for acting so horribly. Therefore he needs to push his fear aside and not let it bother him.

* * *

><p>Going through the exact details of what happened in his mind over and over again Finn tries to think of what he could have done differently. Was his fatal mistake telling Rory everything was going to be okay, when they both knew that was not the case, or would have anything said to him on the subject set him off? Or maybe they shouldn't have spoken to him right then at all and had just respected his request to be left alone? Yet the ultimate question is if Finn did the right thing by picking up Rory when he did. Had he not Rory would have inevitably stepped on the broken glass with his bare feet and cut himself badly, but who is to say that the physical damage that would have caused would have been worse or more lasting than the psychological damage the restraint caused? Maybe he should have just allowed for natural consequences…<p>

It is hard not to be overcome with a looming panic when his mom calls him and Kurt in to come sit with Rory. Finn had already been struggling to figure out what to say to Rory a half hour ago before everything had imploded. Secretly he would like to avoid this altogether until he can think of something profound or remotely meaningful about the situation; be it about Rory's knee, the anger outburst or his extreme reaction to restraint. Yet Finn has nothing.

Rory looks like hell. There really is no way around that. He has a fresh bruise that is half visible underneath his messy hair off to the far side of his forehead. Two more are encircling each of his wrists from when he and Kurt had each held one down to keep Rory from hitting himself and his lower left arm is heavily decorated with band-aids. In spite of this the real showstopper is his expression. Rory's eyes are red and puffy, with tracks from his earlier tears still visible on his cheeks, yet are not at all shiny. His normally gorgeous eyes are dull and lacking all life to match his blank expression. It looks like he's given up.

Finn wants nothing more right now than to gather this broken boy up in his arms and somehow make it better. He so badly wants to protect Rory from the world; from all injuries and heartbreak. But he can't protect Rory from himself. The depths of Rory's mind and whatever torment secretly exists within it is one battleground he cannot reach. He cannot put up padding, hide sharp objects or in any way 'Rory-proof' the environment in there, no matter how much he would like to right now.

"Rory?" Kurt asks hesitantly. "Can we sit down on the bed next to you?"

Rory gives a small nod. When they do sit down Rory backs away slightly and pulls up his legs to his chest, eying them both apprehensively. Even as it breaks Finn's heart to see such fear directed at him, it's also quite reassuring to see any emotion in his eyes, other than just looking dead.

"Finn you're bleeding," says Rory softly. Finn looks down at his arm. The wound has already clotted and all that is left is a smearing of dried blood.

"You bit me," Finn replies, matching his soft tone. For a moment they lock eyes before Rory quickly looks away, his lower lip trembling.

"You should clean that. It's easy for puncture wounds like that to get infected," Rory whispers so quietly it is barely audible.

"I'll be back." In an effort to have a second to clear his head more than anything else Finn momentarily leaves the room to rinse his arm off in the sink before returning to his bedroom. Now that it's been called to his attention his arm suddenly starts throbbing in pain.

They sit in absolute silence. Finn has no idea what to say, none at all. In his core he knows that Rory is not to blame for what happened, but still that was really bad. Had it been anyone else in their family who had done that, you might even go as far as to call it domestic abuse. But regardless of the consequences it was all just at the hands of a scared child. So where do you go from there?

As a feeble attempt to do something Finn inspects the individual teeth marks of his bite wound. "So I'm guessing you've already had braces Rory? These marks are perfectly straight." It was meant as a joke, but at this Rory lets out a renewed sob.

"You should return me," he gasps out.

"What?!"

"Send me back to Ireland. I'm way more trouble than I'm worth. Not only am I fragile and in need of constant care, I'm also insane. I kept you awake last night with my stupid nightmares, I just destroyed your living room and worst of all I hurt you Finn. You both must hate me."

"We don't hate Rory. Never!" declares Kurt firmly before Finn even has a chance to process what was said.

"I hate myself."

Finn is stunned into silence. It is true that he is very overwhelmed by what just happened and a part of him is furious at Rory, but it's only a small part. Forever the more articulate one, Kurt is first to break the silence.

"Rory honey, I know that was bad. We all know that so I'm not going to sugarcoat it. But that still doesn't change anything. We love you just as much as we did an hour ago. We are not sending you away, you are not insane and you are NOT allowed to hate yourself. I don't want to hear you say that again. Look Rory, you have had an absolutely terrible month and during that time you have passed up thousands of free passes to be less than delightful and good-natured about it. Just think of today as you cashing in on all of those wasted opportunities."

Rory just shakes his head miserably. "It doesn't work that way."

"Says who?" demands Finn.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I attacked you both and tried to attack your Ma."

"Irrelevant. After I picked you up everything that happened became out of your control. I think you already know that. Tell me Rors, when Kurt and I were holding you down where did it seem like you were?"

"Back at the hospital," Rory whispers with a far off look on his face. "I was alone and confused as strangers held me down to do thing that hurt and touch me in places that…" Rory's voice trails off, before picking up again forcefully. "But I _wasn't_ there! That happened weeks ago. If I thought I was there than I must be truly insane."

"No you aren't Rors. You went through a trauma that was made even worse by how delirious you were when it happened. I know because I was there. During those ten minutes that you were alone, they had taken you away from us without explaining to you why. When I was finally allowed back with you, you were screaming and fighting the doctors just like you were with us a while ago, only you were so ill you were less successful. Did you know that the nurses told me that had I not calmed you down when I did they would have tied your arms and legs down to the bed so that you were totally immobilized? They meant business with those restraints. And your fever was so incredibly high when that happened and you were so confused. It must have seemed like you were being tortured for no reason."

"It was a flashback honey," says Kurt gently. "Finn, his mom and I think you might have a mild case of post traumatic stress disorder. With what you went through, the repeated nightmares, this new fear of restraint and now the flashbacks it does seem to fit."

"Great so now not only do I have hemophilia and now a permanent physical impairment, I also have a severe mental health condition? My life is a mess. I'm a mess. Besides that's something war veterans get from seeing their friends killed. If I have it just from being sick that's beyond pathetic. I'm pathetic. And even if that is the case it still doesn't excuse what I did. Not before or after you restrained me. Nothing would make that okay." Right now Rory seems determined to put himself down in any way possible. Kurt may have made professing his self hatred off limits, but that doesn't make it any less true.

"We all do stupid things Rory. We all do things we regret. Before Glee club I used to drive around throwing eggs at people and just a little over a year ago referred to Kurt's room as faggy."

"I don't even know what that means," says Rory pathetically. It would be cute if they were in any other situation.

"It's an extremely derogatory and offensive term for gay. It was bad, it was really bad. But you know what I forgave him, because like you Finn was going through a really tough time when it happened, I know he didn't really mean it and because we're brothers. That's what we do—we forgive each other for doing stupid and even mean spirited things."

"It's still not the same. One word isn't as bad as what I did."

"I disagree with you on that one bud, but I don't think I'm going to win this argument am I?" Finn sighs. Nothing they say or do right now is going to get Rory to stop beating himself up over this. Not today anyway.

Rory shakes his head at that with what just might be a hint of a smile. One of Rory's biggest joys in life these past few weeks has been winning out in a battle of wills against one of them. It's strangely comforting to know that this pleasure still exists within him, even if it is for completely messed up reasons.

"Rory, I think you need to talk to someone…to a professional," cuts in Kurt gently. "You can't just deal with everything that's happened to you on your own, and Finn and I are both at a loss on how to help you. Our school guidance counselor Emma Pilsberry would be a good start. She can help the nightmares go away."

Rory initially looks horrified at the idea, but after a moment of tortured pondering he finally gives a small nod. "That would be nice," he chokes out tearfully. That's all it takes to cause Finn's willpower to break. He can't take it anymore. The urge to hold him has become too great.

"Rory can I please hug you? Please?" he asks in desperation. Finn had been expecting for Rory to retreat, panic or outright refuse at his request. Instead Rory practically throws himself at Finn, wrapping his arms around him and laying his head against him. It seems that in the end the sweet and needy boy who above all else craves friendship won out.

"We love you buddy. We love you so much." Finn pulls Rory into as tight a hug as he dares without risking it be misinterpreted as restraint.

"I love you too. I'm sorry for everything I've put you guys through. For _everything_. I'm so incredibly sorry that I hurt you and I'm sorry that I said I hate you guys. I didn't mean it. I swear to God I didn't mean it," Rory whispers with his face pressed up against Finn's chest. He can feel his shirt becoming damp with Rory's renewed tears. Is this really the same kid who had just moments ago been so violent and overcome with rage? Right now it doesn't seem possible, as if all of what happened earlier was just some sick dream.

After holding that position for a few minutes Finn passes Rory off to Kurt so that he can also play a role in the comfort. Were their life a tv show this would be a perfect opportunity for a group hug that would end the dramatic scene on a happy note. But this is reality and in it being sandwiched between the two of them would surely be too much for Rory and they have no delusions of the healing properties of a hug. It provides a brief moment of comfort and affection, two things that Rory badly needs right now, but does not go any further than that.

"Rory?" asks Kurt softly after a spell of semi-comfortable silence. "Do you want to talk about the reason this happened in the first place? Would you like to talk about your knee…or is it too soon?"

Rory visibly tenses up at this question. Still he does not retreat into himself or disengage from the conversation, even if he does not look at them when he finally replies.

"Not the knee specifically. Not right now. Just…I'm just so tired guys. I am tired of always fighting. I'm so tired."

"I would be tired too if I just put up the fight that you did. Hell I am tired and I wasn't putting in half as much fight as you were."

"That's not what I mean."

"I know buddy. We know. But you and I also both know that giving up isn't an option either. You are far too loved Rors, and no one here in Lima or Ireland is going to let that happen. Ever."

"Don't worry; I'm not going to do that to you Finn Hudson, to either of you. I'm not going to give up the fight. It's just been so hard this month. I've barely had any breathing room before the next thing hits….Do-do you guys believe in God?"

Finn hesitates at that. It's a very personal question and he isn't sure how to respond. He can tell that Rory's asking for a specific reason and doesn't want to disappoint him regardless of what answer he's looking for. Yet ultimately he decides that honesty is the best policy.

"I don't know Rory. I honestly don't. It's something I've struggled with for quite some time. I used to believe quite strongly for a little while, but then I realized that it was for all the wrong reasons. I'd like to think so, but I'm just not sure."

"Oh…." Whatever answer Rory had been looking for that obviously wasn't it, as his face fills with disappointment. "What about you Kurt Hummel?"

"No I don't. I'm sorry Rory. I hope that doesn't disappoint or offend you, but this is a firm belief and I cannot lie to you."

"Why not?" he whispers, looking for all the world like a very young child just now.

"I have a lot of reasons, many of which are very personal. I'd rather not get into it right now, since I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to convert you when you're vulnerable. All I'll say is that this is a belief I've had for a long time, since I was a child. What about Ror?"

"I do. I believe in God, in Jesus, and heaven and angels…saints… I'm Catholic. I'm proud to be Catholic. It is part of who I am, you know? Only…sometimes it's hard." Rory's voice cracks as he says this and his face contorts with the anguish of this confession. "I know God cannot take away my hemophilia, still every night I still pray for it to get better, for me and my brother. Every night this past month I pray for things to quickly return to my version of normal before dodgeball. But they have gone unanswered since lately it just keeps getting worse. My parents say that he never gives you anything you can't handle, so I try so hard to be okay with this all and handle it… But what if I can't? Then not only am I letting you guys and my family down, I'm letting God down if I let the cracks show… And then sometimes I get angry that _I _was chosen to have to deal with this at all. Why am I the one who has to have the harder life than all my peers? Am I being punished for something? Did he make a mistake? It just doesn't seem fair."

Rory's softly spoken words hang in the air and fester around the room like smoke. All the anguish, the betrayal and the confusion in Rory's words will likely haunt Finn for quite some time. This must be the root of Rory's question and his disappointment at their answers. He's looking for religious guidance and for someone to get rid of any of the doubts that he might have, which neither of them can provide. This is one area that there is absolutely nothing either of them can do to help him.

"Wow Rory. That's a lot of big questions. You've been thinking hard about this haven't you?"

"I've had a lot of free time to think about it."

"Well hon, I'm sure you can tell by our answers that neither of us are really the right people to talk to about this sort of thing. I might suggest talking to Mercedes or Quinn, as they are both devoutly Christian. Or would you be interested in going to church one Sunday? Since it's not really something that's on either of our radars it's not something that ever occurred to us that might be important to you as part of the healing process."

"To Sunday mass? Yes, I would like that very much."

"Okay. I can take you Rory. I think Kurt would kill us if he had to go, but I can take you this weekend."

"When-when I got to confession it's going to take awhile. Especially after today."

And they're back to that. No matter what they talk about right now it will likely come back to his current self-hatred. So maybe it's time to abandon that and just provide a distraction.

"Up to playing a few rounds of Fifa Rors?"

Amazingly Rory actually smiles at this. "Always! Though em, don't you guys have school?"

"Technically yes, but Fifa is more important." Rory is more important. "What do you say Kurt? Will you join us?"

"Meh. It's not exactly my favorite, but I suppose it beats Calculus. Why not?"

It was a productive talk. It _was. _Certain things that needed to be are now out in the open and much needed reassurances were given. They got Rory to open up to a point that they now know that while damaged, he is not mentally broken beyond repair and does not appear to be suicidal.

Still nothing has been resolved. There are many things that have been yet to be addressed, many things left still unsaid. This isn't like in the movies or tv where a long heart to heart talk makes everything magically better. It may never be. Not fully.

_To be continued…_


End file.
